search
date/time
Yorkshire Times
A Voice of the Free Press
frontpagebusinessartscarslifestylefamilytravelsportsscitechnaturefictionCartoons
9:11 PM 5th January 2022
frontpage
Opinion

Comment On Travel Restrictions

 
Julia Lo Bue-Said, CEO at Advantage Travel Partnership says that today’s relaxation of travel restrictions is of course a positive for the travel industry.

Scrapping the pre-departure test and replacing subsequent PCR day 2 test and therefore self-isolation on arrival back into the UK with a cheaper and effective lateral flow test will help to boost confidence at what is traditionally the busiest booking period of the year. Our members are currently trading on average at about 50% of 2019 levels and are beginning to see that pent up demand come through following 20 months of the toughest of trading conditions.

Julia Lo Bue-Said
Julia Lo Bue-Said
Our top three destinations last week were the Canaries, USA & Greece and we are also starting to see more long-haul bookings to places like the Caribbean, Australia and Thailand. Confidence is crucial now. In order to recover from the decimating impact the pandemic has had on the travel industry and people we must start to see a consistent approach from Government in terms of the future relaxation of rules given our highly vaccinated population.

Travel will remain ever complex this year, but if the consumer can rely on less confusing government intervention, a continuation of a more flexible approach from travel suppliers, and the expertise of a human travel agent to help guide them through the booking process from take off to landing, I am hopeful we will see the industry start to finally bounce back.