Travel bosses blast Government plans for 'amber watchlist'

Travel bosses today warned the industry is in the 'last chance saloon' as the Government's traffic light system continues to wreak havoc with summer holidays amid fears ministers will introduce a new 'amber watchlist'.   

The Government is considering rolling out the new category to identify countries which are currently amber but at risk of imminently turning red.

It is thought that Spain would be put on the list while there are fears that fellow holiday hotspots Greece and Italy could also follow suit. 

Moving a country from amber to red at a moment's notice would force returning travellers to undertake a costly stay in mandatory hotel quarantine. 

Ministers are under mounting pressure not to go ahead with the move with Tory MPs warning it could cause a massive collapse in bookings, further decimating the beleaguered aviation sector. 

Many Conservative MPs believe the red, amber and green system is now far too complicated and are demanding it be simplified. 

But Digital Minister Matt Warman dismissed the concerns this morning as he said the system works fine as long as people 'apply their common sense'. 

He did not rule out introducing the new amber watchlist category, with Transport Secretary Grant Shapps due to provide an update on travel rules on Thursday this week. 

He said 'the point' of such a watchlist is to 'try and give people a sense of the direction of travel that a country is going in'. 

Whitehall sources last night told the Mail that the plans could be scrapped as the backlash grows and after it emerged that Rishi Sunak had written to Boris Johnson to warn that the Government risked damaging the travel sector by imposing more 'draconian' measures than the UK's EU rivals.

As of today fully-vaccinated arrivals to the UK who have been double jabbed in the US or the EU will no longer have to quarantine when arriving from amber list countries after a rule change. 

The Chancellor said UK border policy was 'out of step with our international competitors' in a way that threatened to damage jobs.  

Meanwhile, in a ray of hope for millions of holidaymakers, industry experts last night released optimistic data which they say shows how 17 countries could be added to the quarantine-free green list or green watch list.

Countries including Germany, Austria, Poland and Canada, are among the countries most likely to go green due to low infection rates, according to travel experts.

It comes as it was revealed:

Today, amid a growing revolt by Tory MPs, a Whitehall source told the Mail last night that the idea for an amber watch list could be shelved, adding: 'We'll have to wait and see what the data looks like later this week.

'But there will have to be a very strong case to create another category at this stage. There is a lot of opposition to anything that causes more confusion and uncertainty right now.'

Yesterday it emerged that Mr Sunak had written to Boris Johnson to warn the Government risked damaging the travel sector by imposing more 'draconian' measures than EU rivals.

He said UK border policy was 'out of step with our international competitors' in a way that threatened to damage jobs.

Treasury sources played down the split, insisting the Chancellor's letter was written before last week's decision to lift quarantine restrictions for double-jabbed tourists from the US and Europe, which comes into force today.

But senior Tories warn against imposing measures that could wreck family holidays and damage the stricken travel sector further.

Former Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith said families should be governed by the quarantine rule in place when they leave for a holiday, even if the status of their destination alters during their trip.

He told the Mail: 'We cannot mess families around like this.

'If you have gone away on the basis that the country is okay and you have had your two vaccines then you should not have to self-isolate when you get back.

'I am glad the Chancellor is getting involved because we have to start thinking about the economic damage we are causing by overly restrictive and constantly changing rules. We need to be trusting our vaccines and opening up, not constantly tinkering in a way that undermines confidence.'

Another senior Tory described an amber watch list as 'madness', adding: 'It is a stupid idea which will cause bookings to collapse. Who in their right mind would go on holiday having been warned they may have to quarantine at huge expense when they get back?'

Henry Smith, chairman of the Future of Aviation group of MPs, also backed the idea of a 'fortnight guarantee' for holidaymakers, adding: 'I hope ministers will accept the case that if you travelled in good faith you should be allowed to come back in on the conditions on which you left.'

He said the complex traffic-light system, which has five alert levels, was 'putting people off travel to places that are arguably safer than many parts of the UK'.

Meanwhile, Huw Merriman, the Tory chairman of the Commons transport committee, said the proposal for an amber watch list was a 'giant red flag' that could throw the industry into chaos by sparking a wave of cancellations.

He told the Times: 'The government has used the vaccine dividend to make some positive strides in the last few weeks, making it easier for those travelling in and out of the UK.

'This is not the time to be adding further complexity, uncertainty and anxiety to an already beleaguered sector.' 

Tim Alderslade, chief executive of Airlines UK, which represents the aviation industry, also told the paper: 'The EU must be looking at us in incredulity. 

'We have totally squandered the vaccine dividend we had built up. No wonder passengers have no idea whether they're coming or going. 

'Green is the only way forward for the industry — this is the last chance saloon now for saving the summer.' 

The push to create an amber watch list has been prompted by concern among health officials about the rise of the Beta variant in countries such as Spain.

The strain, which emerged in South Africa, is thought to be more resistant to the AstraZeneca jab than the Delta variant, which his now dominant in the UK.

Ministers are keen to avoid a repeat of the fiasco in which France was placed on an 'amber plus' list of its own last month.

Travellers from France still have to isolate for ten days on arrival in the UK, although this restriction is set to be lifted this week.

An amber watch list would not carry quarantine restrictions of its own. But travellers would be warned their destination is on the brink of going on to the red list.

If it does, they would face the choice of rushing home before the deadline or paying £1,750 a head to quarantine in a Government-approved hotel when they return.

The Joint Biosecurity Centre, which analyses Covid data, is due to give ministers its latest assessment of the international threat.

They will then meet on Thursday to decide which countries should go in each category, and whether a new amber watch list is needed.

It comes as travel consultancy, the PC Agency, last night released research which shows that 17 countries could join the green or green watch list.

The research suggests 12 destinations, including Germany, Poland, Canada, Austria and Romania could go fully green - meaning even unvaccinated holiday makers can return to the UK without having to quarantine on their return.

According to the PC Agency, all 12 destinations have infection rates below 30 cases per 100,000 of the population - placing them significantly lower than the UK's 286 cases per 100,000 people - and most have also jabbed more than half of their adult populations. 

According to the research, reported in the Telegraph, a further five destinations, Bhutan, French Polynesia, North Macedonia, Norway and Saudi Arabia, have low enough infection rates to join the green watch list - which is the same as the green list but with the possibility of a sudden switch to the amber list looming.  

Meanwhile, in another boost for British families, fully vaccinated arrivals to the UK who have been double jabbed in the US or the EU will no longer have to quarantine when arriving from amber list countries after a rule change.

Non-UK residents arriving from amber list countries have previously been forced to self-isolate when arriving in the UK - even if they have been double jabbed.

But from 4am today, the rules will change to allow them to enter the country providing they have been double vaccinated in either the US or an EU country.

The rule change will be a big boost for families abroad who have faced strict restrictions when planning visits to the UK since March last year.  

The UK government has said the change, which was announced last week, will help to reunite family and friends whose loved ones live abroad. Airline bosses have welcomed the move.

But travellers will still need to take either a lateral flow or PCR test pre-departure and a PCR test on the second day after they arrive. Under-18s will be exempt from isolation, and some will not have to test, depending on their age. 

It comes as it was revealed last night how tens of millions of Britons are expected to be offered a Pfizer booster jab this autumn as the vaccine has proved to be the most effective against the Delta variant.

The booster scheme, which was announced earlier this year, is set to start in September and should see 23million over-50s, vulnerable Britons and NHS and care home staff offered a third dose. 

Extra vaccines would be rolled out in two stages — prioritising those most at risk of Covid, before the programme is extended.

While patients were initially expected to be offered the jab they were originally inoculated with, it is understood all patients will be offered the Pfizer jab as it has proven to be the most effective against the Delta variant.