The agency consortium commissioned independent consultant Suzanne Lugthart to review the latest Covid-19 variant data to see what impact it has been having on travel.
This research found there were only nine cases of “very high priority” or “high priority” variants of concern or variants under investigation from just three countries – Egypt, India and Mexico – out of 228 destinations in the traffic light system.
These nine cases came from nearly two million international passenger arrivals in the UK since mid-May when international travel became legal again.
Lugthart added it was “very clear” the UK’s Joint Biosecurity Centre had not been using traveller data to make decisions about travel restrictions.
“If it was, they would need to justify why Montenegro and Thailand went on the red list on the basis of three and 11 positive cases respectively since 19 May, and zero variants of concern or variants under investigation,” she said.
Julia Lo Bue-Said, chief executive of Advantage, called for a “complete review” of the traffic light system to replace the “current broken framework” for international travel.
“Under the current system, the travelling public, regardless of their vaccination status, are forced into buying unnecessary testing,” she added. “This is a further hinderance for the industry as it cannot trade its way to recovery and is a deterrent for overseas visitors and Brits desperate to travel.
“With the checkpoint review looming, we are urging ministers to develop a straightforward, uncomplicated new system, using the data now available since international travel was decriminalised in May 2021.
“Expensive PCR testing should be scrapped along with pre-departure testing for the fully vaccinated to align the UK with most other countries across the EU as there is nothing to indicate that these are a public health measure.”
The government is set to complete its next “checkpoint” review of the traffic light system by 1 October with speculation both green and amber lists could be scrapped, while the need to take PCR tests could also be reduced for vaccinated travellers.
