Tell us the facts about travel

Travel Talk

“I think” said a friend still hoping to spend a few weeks self-catering in France this summer, “the Government wants to cut us off entirely from Europe.” An extreme contention maybe, but his exasperation was understandable. Ministers’ policy on travel abroad is, frankly, insulting.

I avoided describing it as incompetent because they may have perfectly good reasons for it – that is, the presence in certain countries of a dangerous level of the Delta variant or other lurking mutations. But it’s insulting because they have consistently failed to explain those reasons. And it’s doubly insulting because they introduced a so called “watchlist”, designed to give some advance warning that a destination’s status was about to change (from green to amber for example) which does nothing of the kind. Witness the abrupt demise of holidays to Portugal. It was not until mid-morning after the announcement of the latest green list additions that the Government altered its website – confirming that all but Malta would be on a watchlist from the outset. That will hardly encourage wavering travellers to book.

Most, if not all, visitors to silvertraveladvisor.com will by now have received two vaccine doses. I have set out my back-of-an-envelope arithmetic in an earlier article, showing the extremely tiny risk of a double dosed traveller to a country with low infection rate encountering a native with the disease for long enough to contract it. And even if they did, it would either be asymptomatic, making them, we are told, 50% less likely than others to carry the virus home, or its effects would be relatively mild. Though Italy was demanding a five-day self-isolation for UK visitors at the time of writing, its 7-day rate had plunged to a mere 10.9 per 100,000 of its population. Croatia’s was 11.9, France’s rate was 20.7 and that in Greece was 24.8. That compared with the UK’s 126.4 – the worst in Europe. Indeed, though most of the increases in cases of the Delta variant are among the unvaccinated, it seemed surprising that more EU governments had not heeded Angela Merkel’s call for them to heed her plea.

What has happened to the suggestion, circulating widely in the past week or so, that costly PCR tests for returning holidaymakers might be replaced by a regime of frequent lateral flow checks?  And what about Transport Secretary Grant Shapps’ confirmation the Government planned to scrap self-isolation for fully vaccinated people coming home from amber list countries “later this summer”? What will he and his colleagues have learned a month from now that they either don’t or cannot know already?

Why can’t we be told what the scientists think of research by IATA and by individual airlines suggesting that the risk of contracting the virus on flights is very slight, or work by UK Hospitality that there was precious little evidence last year of infection spreading from its members’ venues? It is this lack of detail that frustrates beleaguered travel operators and makes it so hard to resist their protest that the Government simply doesn’t was us to leave the UK this summer – and that they have been sacrificed to protect the domestic tourism industry. Ryanair boss Michael O’leary has said the Government’s is deliberately seeking to sow confusion and that uncertainty will prevent people from booking holidays overseas.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has claimed there are concerns over fairness, as all younger people have not had a chance to get jabs. That is unfortunate, but it is hardly logical that those lucky enough to have been fully vaccinated – and the companies that may benefit from their custom, should be penalised as a consequence.

My friend’s response was no doubt coloured by the Government’s Brexit stance, but he has a point. It puts one in mind of that mythical Times headline: “Dense fog in the Channel: Continent isolated for three days”. That story may have stemmed from a joke. Nobody’s laughing now.

 

111 people found this helpful
19881

Share Article:

Roger Bray

Travel writer

Leave a comment

*

Sign up to our newsletter to receive the latest travel tips on top destinations.

Join the club

Become a member to receive exclusive benefits

Our community is the heart of Silver Travel Advisor, we love nothing more than sharing ideas, inspiration, hints and tips between us.

Most Recent Articles

There’s something refreshingly nostalgic about the quintessential British coach holiday….

Come feel the love on a Princess cruise. You’ll enjoy the MedallionClass experience others simply can’t, and it’s exclusively for everyone. Visit incredible destinations and be involved in the best experiences around each one of them.

Experience more with Princess and connect effortlessly with the world around you, spend time away with loved ones, take a moment for yourself, and fall in love with your holiday of a lifetime, every time.

With over 20 years of experience, Wendy Wu Tours has mastered the art of creating exceptional, fully inclusive tours which showcase the very best of each destination.

Each tour is led by a world-class guide, who will highlight the very best of their homeland, and includes authentic cultural experiences so you are not just seeing the sights, but truly immersing yourself in local life.

Say hello to ease at sea. Ambassador’s purpose is simple: they want to inspire every guest to experience authentic cruising, effortlessly and sustainably. Passionate about protecting our oceans and destinations, their ships comply with the highest industry emission standards and there is no single-use plastic on board.

On your voyage, you will receive the warmest of welcomes from the Ambassador community as you sail upon the friendliest ships afloat.

This is a global co-operative co-owned by local partners using real local experts and guides, which supports local communities, environments and wildlife. It offers travellers quirky places to stay, activity holidays and learning experiences. Not In The Guidebooks gets travellers off the beaten track into local culture with day experiences and longer, immersive adventures.

From wild wellness breaks in Wales to painting in Portugal, sustainable adventures in Mauritius to food safaris in Brazil, this is immersive, exciting travel.

Seabourn’s five intimate ships carry guests to the heart of great cities, exclusive yacht harbours and secluded coves around the world, while two new purpose-built expedition ships will combine exhilarating adventures in remote destinations with the sophisticated amenities of the world’s finest resorts at sea.

From the luxury of all suite accommodations to complimentary fine wines and spirits, and a no tipping policy, Seabourn exemplifies the definition of travelling well.