A business travel boss has issued a plea for a review of government aid ahead of Brexit and tighter UK lockdowns.
Jason Oshiokpekhai, managing director of Global Travel Collection in the UK, is calling on ministers to provide urgent financial support for business travel companies who face further disruption.
The call from the boss of the umbrella group overseeing Protravel International, Tzell Travel group and Colletts Travel in the UK comes amid reports extended tier 4 curbs from Boxing Day to combat the new variant of Covid-19.
Oshiokpekhai said: “Whilst we recognise the importance of protecting public health at this time, the new tier 4 restrictions represent a worst-case scenario for our industry here in the UK.
“Current guidance does still allow for very limited business travel, but when combined with the rapid closing of borders to UK travellers from our European neighbours, tier 4 is essentially a full travel shutdown in all but name.
“With the final outcome of Brexit only days away, cross-continent business travel should be more important than ever; instead, we have witnessed the overnight erasure of traveller confidence and travel booking traction.”
He added: “We are asking the transport minster to either provide a full package of financial relief to our sector which is set to suffer the most damage from the aftermath of Brexit and renewed Covid restrictions or urgently find a solution to open travel corridors.
“Corporate travel – across a whole range of different industries – is a key driver of the UK economy and we must see the UK government actively engaging with a cross-section of businesses that rely on overseas travel to agree on a roadmap to reopen borders.
“Now, more than ever, this situation reinforces the urgency for expanded rapid testing prior to departure along with an internationally recognised digital health passport system which will allow safe and controlled travel between countries and beyond.”