UK Foreign Office advice and the Department for Transport and Home Office ‘travel corridors’ list of countries exempt from UK quarantine restrictions differ for good reasons.
That is the view of Abta director of industry relations Susan Deer, who leads the association’s continual discussions with the Foreign Office (FCO) and points out the variations in policy towards individual countries are based on “different areas of risk”.
There has been widespread criticism of the variation between the travel corridors list and Foreign Office (FCO) advice.
But Deer points out they are based on different criteria. She said: “What is important to remember looking at the FCO advice and travel corridors is these are looking at two different areas of risk.
“The FCO is focused on the risk to UK nationals abroad, at what are the risks going to be to travellers?
“The Department for Transport (DfT) and Home Office are looking at what is the risk of importing infection to the UK. Those are two different things.”
Speaking on a Travel Weekly Roadmap to Recovery webcast, Deer said: “The epidemiology and the number of cases per 100,000 that everybody is quoting at the moment form parts of it.
“But it’s important to know that is not the only consideration.
“So the Foreign Office will also be looking at things like the capability of public health in the area, in case something happens with an outbreak and people need medical support.
“They will also be looking at the transport capacity. What transport will be available and the capacity to bring UK nationals back will be part of the FCO’s consideration.”
She pointed out: “When we came into this crisis in February and March, destinations were shutting down and requiring customers be bought back to the UK.”
Deer added: “We’ve been talking about taking a regional or more risk-based and targeted approach for months now.
She said the government is “is continuing to engage with us and other stakeholders on moving away from the blanket approach to advice, moving to a more targeted, regional and nuanced approach”.
