Travel trade association UKinbound have commented on the latest Government update yesterday evening on international travel and France’s move to the amber list –
Joss Croft, CEO, UKinbound said “We are pleased to see France moved back to amber status and the amber plus list scrapped, however in a recurring Government theme, this is too little too late and is unlikely to have a meaningful impact on the fast-disappearing summer business so critical to many. The French inbound tourism market is incredibly valuable to the UK’s economy, worth £1.39bn in exports for our country annually, and we are none the less looking forward to welcoming back vaccinated French visitors in the coming months. This change does at least mean that vaccinated visitors from Netherlands, Germany and mainland Europe will now be able to travel through France by car and by coach and no longer have to quarantine in the UK on arrival.
“It was also encouraging to see more countries such as Germany and the UAE added to the green and amber lists, however the cost of testing, which can easily run into hundreds of pounds for a family, continues to be an unnecessary and significant barrier to travel. We also need to see Government urgently step up its international diplomacy and work with countries such as Canada to implement further vaccine certification reciprocity, and provide sector specific support as the industry faces a crippling winter due to the lost summer and 17 months of virtually no business.”
