The relaxation of international travel restrictions has been criticised as “a complete mess” by Which?
The consumer champion called for urgent clarity on travel advice following the government’s publication of a ‘safe’ list of destinations that UK citizens can travel to without quarantine restrictions on their return. The 14-day quarantine will be lifted for arrivals in England, but not the devolved administrations, from July 10.
A separate list of countries has been issued where the Foreign Office has lifted its advice against ‘all but essential’ travel from today, July 4. These destinations have been exempted as they are no longer seen to pose an ‘unacceptable high risk for British travellers’.
Rory Boland, editor of Which? Travel, said: “The government’s attempt to relax international travel restrictions has been a complete mess, leaving millions of people with no clarity over whether their holiday can go ahead and less chance of getting their money back if they can’t go.”
The publication of two different lists by government simply added to the confusion, he said.
He added: “Holidaymakers will now have to check a list by the Department for Transport, a different list by the FCO, as well as any restrictions at their destination country to find out if it is safe to travel – so they would be forgiven for thinking this announcement hasn’t been thought through.”
He made a plea to government for clarity. He said: “If the government is to have any hope of getting travel back up and running, it must urgently provide clear and coherent guidance on foreign travel to remedy the mass confusion caused so far.”
More at: Industry ‘relief’ as government finally relaxes quarantine rules