UK Government Indecisiveness sends Travel Industry into disarray
What is absolutely clear is the UK Government has been completely indecisive when it comes to foreign travel. Foreign holidays are on, then they're off, you can book holidays, then you can't. Travel will be permitted from the 17th of May, but then, the government is not going to tell you how this can happen.
The 'traffic light' idea was released in the usual way, through a Downing Street 'leak' the day before a Downing Street conference hosted by Boris Johnson.. The scheme, largely accepted by the travel industry was a good idea, but how the scheme can be introduced seems to be completely at odds with what is actually possible within the industry. Has the travel and aviation industry even been consulted as to how to get the industry moving again, and in the safest possible way?
Boris Johnson initially told England it would find out more on the 12th of April, then in a separate release we were told Boris would announce the grand reopening of travel last Monday. A few days after the big non-event that was Boris's 'big announcement', Grant Shapps MP then went onto TV and told the nation (of England), foreign holidays were now possible this summer and people could think about booking holidays. At the same time as Grant Shapps was making his announcement, Steve Heapy, Chief Executive of Jet2 was announcing the indecisiveness of the government had lead them with no alternative but to cancel foreign holidays up until and including the 23rd June.
The industry was sent into disarray when the Boris's big announcement turned out to be nothing more than a damp squid. The industry is basically absolutely no closer to finding out when it can or can't restart or even how this can happen. Airport and airline staff are furloughed and will potentially need retraining. Aircraft will need to be brought out of storage. Resort staff in the destinations airlines wish to serve will also need to be rehired. This isn't something that can happen over night, it's something that needs planning and foresight, something the UK government is currently lacking.
What is absolutely clear is the UK Government has been completely indecisive when it comes to foreign travel. Foreign holidays are on, then they're off, you can book holidays, then you can't. Travel will be permitted from the 17th of May, but then, the government is not going to tell you how this can happen.
The 'traffic light' idea was released in the usual way, through a Downing Street 'leak' the day before a Downing Street conference hosted by Boris Johnson.. The scheme, largely accepted by the travel industry was a good idea, but how the scheme can be introduced seems to be completely at odds with what is actually possible within the industry. Has the travel and aviation industry even been consulted as to how to get the industry moving again, and in the safest possible way?
Boris Johnson initially told England it would find out more on the 12th of April, then in a separate release we were told Boris would announce the grand reopening of travel last Monday. A few days after the big non-event that was Boris's 'big announcement', Grant Shapps MP then went onto TV and told the nation (of England), foreign holidays were now possible this summer and people could think about booking holidays. At the same time as Grant Shapps was making his announcement, Steve Heapy, Chief Executive of Jet2 was announcing the indecisiveness of the government had lead them with no alternative but to cancel foreign holidays up until and including the 23rd June.
The industry was sent into disarray when the Boris's big announcement turned out to be nothing more than a damp squid. The industry is basically absolutely no closer to finding out when it can or can't restart or even how this can happen. Airport and airline staff are furloughed and will potentially need retraining. Aircraft will need to be brought out of storage. Resort staff in the destinations airlines wish to serve will also need to be rehired. This isn't something that can happen over night, it's something that needs planning and foresight, something the UK government is currently lacking.
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