Prime minister Boris Johnson confirmed the changes on Wednesday (5 January), with pre-departure testing set to end from 4am on Friday. Meanwhile, from Sunday, arrivals into the UK will be able to take a lateral flow test instead of a PCR test to satisfy the government’s Day 2 testing requirement, and will no longer have to self-isolate while they wait for the result.
The changes mark a return to pre-Omicron testing rules for travel, which came into effect in early October. The government, though, reimposed more stringent testing measures in late November following the emergence of the Omicron variant.
"The scrapping of the pre-departure test on return to the UK is great news for the industry and will go a long way to boost consumer confidence to travel," said Rowland. "The pre-departure test was a significant barrier as consumers, quite rightly, feared testing positive abroad and not being able to return to the UK on time, as well as the unknown costs associated with that unhappy situation.
"We’re also pleased with the move to change post-arrival Day 2 PCR tests to cheaper lateral flow tests. The government has finally taken a sensible and proportionate stance, which will help the industry during peaks.”
Travel Counsellors’ UK managing director Kirsten Hughes echoed Rowland’s comments. "Holidaymakers and business travellers alike have been very concerned at the thought of being unable to travel home because of a positive test and this has made people think twice about travelling, particularly those wanting to get away imminently.
"While the ultimate aim of everyone in the travel industry is to keep people travelling in the safest way possible, there comes a point where additional restrictions do not play any positive role in managing the levels of cases in the UK and just add an additional layer of bureaucracy, worry and, of course, cost.”
Hughes added Travel Counsellors’ advance bookings for 2022 were looking "extremely positive" despite the Omicron downturn, and that the changes to the testing regime would instil more confidence and "encourage people to book that long-awaited holiday or business trip".
’Unnecessary costs’
Danny Callaghan, chief executive of the Latin American Travel Association, said the government’s decision to retain Day 2 testing came as a disappointment. "It’s difficult to see what that test is supposed to actually achieve," he said. "You can go to a crowded football match without having to test afterwards, but not sit on a plane with 200 other people.
"I’m not sure the Government actually knows why it is retaining the arrival test, other than for political perception reasons. This additional cost burden is unnecessary, continues to be a barrier to outbound and inbound tourism and needs to be scrapped as soon as possible.
"Travel does not represent any meaningful risk to this country – the real risk is the economic fallout from months of nonsensical restrictions.”
