Travel industry leaders complained that the UK government’s plan to resume overseas travel following the blockade of COVID-19 was “overly cautious” and quarantined major European vacation destinations “Green” I’m asking you to add it to the list.
Secretary of Transportation Grant Shapps announced on Friday that the UK would allow resumption of international travel from 17 May, but only 12 countries and territories, including Portugal, Israel, New Zealand, Australia and the small Faroe Islands, are so-called “greens”. Created a “list”. Islands.
Garry Wilson, Chief Executive Officer of EasyJet Holidays, said:
“I think the only very disappointing news is the number of countries on the list. Looking at European countries, the number is very small and the main vacation destination for European countries is Portugal.
“So it’s very cautious and doesn’t really match the approach the government took to open up domestic travel, and I don’t think it’s backed by science or data,” he said. Told to. Saturday.
Wilson said he believes that places like the Greek Islands, the Balearic Islands and the Canary Islands “actually meet these criteria and should be included in the list.”
Virgin Atlantic said the United States should also be added to the green list.
“There is no reason for the United States to be absent from the green list,” a spokesman said. “This overly cautious approach does not benefit from the UK’s successful vaccination program.”
Airlines UK, the UK’s leading trade association, said the government would have to make a “major addition” to the green list at the next review point three weeks later.
“This is an opportunity we missed, and very few countries are on the green list, so the name alone represents the resumption of air travel,” said CEO Tim Alders Raid. I am.
However, Chaps said at a press conference in Downing Street on Friday that the government must “absolutely confirm” that the country to which Britain reconnects is safe from the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus.
“We were able to build a fortress against COVID in this country, but the disease is still widespread in other parts of the world, especially in India at this time.”
PA and Reuters contributed to this report.