Reducing the 14-day quarantine period to five days brings optimism to the UK's Travel & Tourism industry, as stated by the World Travel & Tourism Council
The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) has hailed the UK government's decision to reduce travel quarantine lockdown to 5 days for passengers testing negative on the fifth day as significant progress towards restoring international travel.
This change, which comes into effect on December 15, is expected to mainly benefit leisure travelers, according to WTTC. However, the council believes that until a vaccine is widely available, this is only the first step in getting business travellers moving again.
Thousands of businesses in the Travel & Tourism sector are still in the balance, and the jobs of 174 million people employed in the sector globally could be lost if action isn't taken to restore international travel. The WTTC states that for business travel to significantly aid the sector, quarantines need to be reduced further or completely replaced with a comprehensive test upon departure.
The WTTC has been at the forefront of a series of international initiatives to fight for and support the stricken Travel & Tourism sector since the beginning of the pandemic. The council led the initiative to create an international body that supports the sector during these challenging times.
WTTC President & CEO, Gloria Guevara, has stated that this move is real progress and will be welcomed in the Travel & Tourism sector. The WTTC Global Summit, the most influential annual event in the Travel & Tourism calendar, aims to lead the sector into recovery and restore millions of jobs around the world.
Originally scheduled for earlier this year, the WTTC Global Summit was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The summit, set to take place in Cancun, Mexico, from March 23-25, 2021, will feature a prestigious lineup, including former US presidents, Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, as top-billing guest speakers. The summit will take place in a hybrid format, with a limited number of delegates attending physically and many thousands more participating online.
In addition, the WTTC has supported alternatives to damaging quarantines, such as the oneworld airline alliance trial with British Airways and American Airlines. The cost of the test ranges between £65 and £120, a more affordable option compared to the financial burden of extended quarantines.
The WTTC Global Summit will be a crucial event for the Travel & Tourism sector, as it will provide a platform for industry leaders to discuss strategies for recovery and restoration. The council's efforts to fight for the sector and its initiatives to support businesses and employees are essential in these challenging times. This progress in the UK's travel policies is a step in the right direction towards the recovery of the Travel & Tourism sector.
