The letter – signed by Advantage chief Julia Lo Bue-Said and SPAA president Joanne Dooey – says establishing the connections to countries with low Covid infection rates “sooner rather than later” is critical to allow the industry to “get back on its feet after a prolonged period of stalemate during lockdown”.
It also urges the need to review the Foreign Office’s (FCO) “indefinite” ban on non-essential international travel as part of the formation of the air bridges - stressing that without its easing, the travel sector’s ability to sell would still be hamstrung.
“It is the ultimate chicken and egg situation, and without the FCO ban revoked (even if it is just to those destinations with air bridges as a phased approach) the industry will lack the appropriate tools to sell holidays with confidence and their customers will have no recourse to adequate insurance,” the letter states.
Following “extensive consumer research” of 4,000 respondents carried out by Advantage and sales figures from industry partners, the letter details the ten most popular and viable options for air bridges. These are:
1. Spain
2. Greece
3. Turkey
4. Italy
5. Cyprus
6. Portugal
7. France
8. Iceland
9. Egypt
10. Malta
The letter added that while the travel sector fully supported the health and safety of British citizens travelling overseas on business or leisure, it branded Downing Street’s current strategies “too draconian, short sighted and not balanced".
The impact of quarantine would "deeply damage the travel industry, contributing to large-scale redundancies and significant damage to the UK economy in taxes, foreign exchange and business.”
“It is safe to say that the UK travel industry, which has undoubtedly been a world class showcase sector, as a profitable, successful and large contributor to the UK economy, and society in general, faces perilous times in the months ahead.
"But, if the above actions are taken, we believe it will help contribute to the sector’s recovery and once again contribute to the health, financially and in mental wellbeing, to the UK economy specifically and the British people generally," the letter concludes.
