Restart of International Travel from UK Under Threat
22nd April 2021
Last modified on May 12th, 2021
The Transport Select Committee says a report by the Government’s Global Travel Taskforce gives “insufficient” detail to allow for travel on 17th May.
It is the date when international travel could restart but it will only be to practical to a few countries with just a handful likely to be on the so-called ‘green list’.
These are likely to include the US, Gibraltar, Israel, Iceland, Ireland, Malta, Australia and New Zealand.
It is unclear whether the countries will allow UK citizens to travel.
The Committee says neither businesses or travellers are being given enough time to prepare.
It calls the government’s plans “vague and costly”.
The committee says testing requirements could be “disproportionate to the risk”.
It may add £500 to the cost of a family of four visiting the “safest” parts of the globe where vaccine rollout is comparable to the UK.
The Conservative MP Huw Merriman, who chairs the committee, says: “The aviation and travel sectors were crying out for a functional report, setting out clear rules and offering certainty. This is not it.”
Many of us mountain lovers are hoping to head to the mountains in Europe when conditions allow.
At the moment Scotland is the most realistic option.
But there is some hope.
The French President, Emmanuel Macron, has said he hopes to allow foreign vaccinated visitors to come to the country this summer.
France is set to ease lockdown restrictions from next month and start welcoming some international visitors over the summer.
He didn’t specifically say if that would include travellers from the UK.
