The World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) has called upon the United Kingdom government to abandon its “confusing and damaging” traffic light system and replace it with a “simpler and easier-to-understand list” of green and red countries.
WTTC, which represents the global private travel and tourism sector, says the move (to only green and red countries) would simplify a system, “which has become steadily discredited over recent months.” According to The Guardian, U.K. tour operators have called for clarity to stem further damage to the travel sector and relationships with mainland hoteliers and travel suppliers. In The Guardian’s report, AITO – The Specialist Travel Association says up to 500,000 travel jobs are at risk due to a lack of sufficient government support and mistrust caused by the traffic light system.
Currently, the U.K. has a "green," "amber" and "red" list of countries, each with different regulations for travelers coming from these countries. U.K. citizens are recommended not to travel to "Red" countries and there is a set of requirements for inbound travel to the U.K. from these destinations, which much be followed regardless of vaccination status. The "amber" list has various set of protocols based of the country you're returning to, your age and vaccination status (along with list that is "not exhaustive"). The "green" list also has various sets of protocols based on the same above circumstances.
Virginia Messina, WTTC SVP and acting CEO, said: “We need to provide clarity across the U.K. travel and tourism sector, which has been crying out for the present highly unpredictable system to be dropped, having brought international travel from the U.K. to its knees.
“The U.K. should now open its doors not just to fully vaccinated travelers from the U.S. and the E.U., but to double-jabbed visitors from all over the world, too—showing we’re open for business and ready to welcome all safe travelers.”
WTTC says the government needs to significantly widen the green list so that fully vaccinated U.K. citizens can get their right back to travel safely around the world and for businesses to welcome leisure and business travelers alike.
In addition, the WTTC says the Day Two PCR test for visitors returning to the U.K. should be replaced with an “easy-to-use antigen” test, with PCR tests only for positive cases. Unvaccinated visitors, however, should continue needing to take a test on departure, as well as a PCR test on Day Two of their return.
WTTC urges coordination with and reciprocity from other countries so that the rules are applied equally and fairly to ensure maximum ease of international mobility for travelers. Harmonization would restore international mobility, reduced protocols for vaccinated travelers, the importance of global vaccine recognition, as well as the adoption of “digital health passes.”
Visit www.wttc.org.
Related Stories
U.S. Travel Reacts to England Reopening Plan
STR: U.K. Leading Europe in Hotel Occupancy Recovery
WTTC: Inconsistent Vaccine Recognition Hurting Travel Recovery