Another week, another round of last-minute quarantine announcements. “It’s like Whac-A-Mole,” one BBC journalist quipped. It’s hard to disagree.
There is, of course, positive news: Portugal has finally been added to the UK’s travel corridor list, and Jet2 and Tui have already confirmed their programmes will restart this week, providing a much-needed boost for the beleaguered industry.
But while Portugal is now included, Croatia, Austria and Trinidad and Tobago are out, meaning another headache for overstretched agents and operators.
The frustration of the industry is palpable. “The constant changes made to this list is causing confusion and denting consumer confidence even further; Europe is rapidly becoming smaller,” points out Advantage Travel Partnership chief Julia Lo Bue-Said.