According to The Telegraph, the government has no plans to replace expensive PCR testing with cheaper lateral flow tests, while UK accommodation and holiday providers are already looking ahead to a strong summer 2022 after Covid forced many people to stay at home this year.
Elsewhere, there were reports of significant queues at Heathrow airport over the bank holiday weekend owing to staffing issues, with the Home Office warning Brits to continue to expect delays at the border as Covid checks continue.
Here are all the key national press headlines concerning travel in Tuesday’s papers (31 August).
PCR test for travel ’here to stay’ says health minister
PCR testing looks set to remain a feature pf foreign travel, health minister Lord Bethell has suggested. Bethell’s intervention, which reportedly came as he addressed a roundtable of testing providers late last week, would appear to have dampened hopes of expensive PCR tests for travel being replaced by cheaper lateral flow tests. One testing provider at the roundtable, held remotely, said the "general vibe was that PCR tests are here for some time to come", the Telegraph reports. The government’s current traffic light regime for travel, and the wider rules around travel, are next due for review on 1 September, the final of three "checkpoints" baked into the system put forward by the Global Travel Taskforce in April. (The Telegraph)
Hundreds of thousands facing issues proving Covid status
Up to 700,000 people may be "locked out" of foreign travel owing to data recording errors with their NHS vaccine passes, The Telegraph reports. Citing disclosures under the Freedom of Information Act, the paper reports 677,331 cases of NHS Covid vaccine records having to be corrected. An inability to accurately prove one’s vaccine status could put barriers in the way of foreign travel and other freedoms, with proof of vaccination against Covid-19 becoming an increasingly common requirement. The Telegraph further reports a new Vaccination Data Resolution Service could be created to combat the issue. (The Telegraph)
Staycation boom set to last into summer 2022
Brits have rediscovered holidaying in their own country, The Mirror reports, and are ready to keep holidaying domestically next summer. The paper says enquiries about breaks in Britain in 2022 are up 74%, although it doesn’t cite a source for this stat. In the same article, it reports research from financial services website Square which found 45% of Britons were planning domestic breaks next summer. Several other UK holiday and accommodation providers report increases in interest for breaks in the UK this summer, and healthy interest for September and next year. (The Mirror)
Hospitality staff hit out at ’TripAdvisor warriors’
Hospitality staff in UK holiday hotspots are fed up with "impatient" visitors and so-called "TripAdvisor warriors" complaining about service this summer with businesses hugely stretched by demand and the pingdemic. Susan Briggs, director of the Tourism Network in North Yorkshire, said businesses had reported an increase in "more demanding and even abusive" customers owing to not being able to get tables in cafes and restaurants or with "unrealistic expectations of service". Over the bank holiday weekend, many hospitality workers took to social media to appeal for visitors to #BeKind. (The Guardian)
Staff shortages cause Heathrow queue chaos
Some passengers arriving at Heathrow airport over the bank holiday weekend faced queues of several hours upon their return. The Times reports a shortage of staff at passport control desks was to blame, with the paper reporting claims only a quarter of desks were staffed at times. Some passengers reported being unable to socially distance during the lengthy queues. The Home Office told The Times its utmost priority was protecting public health and safety, adding it meant on occasion passengers would "need to accept an increase in the time taken to cross the border". (The Times)
US Covid surge to trigger new EU restrictions on travellers
The EU is set to remove the US from its Covid white list, meaning arrivals into the bloc from the states will once again be subject to temporary restrictions on non-essential travel. It comes after the national rate of Covid infection in the US over the past fortnight increased to 300 new cases per 100,000 people, higher than it was in January. The EU’s tolerance is 75 new cases per 100,000 people. The US, meanwhile, has strengthened its advice on travel to several parts of Europe, as well as Canada. The move would appear to compound concerns around the UK being unlikely to reopen to travellers from the UK and Europe imminently. (Financial Times)
Business confidence hits four-year high
A new survey has revealed British business conference has hit a four-year high owing to renewed hopes the economy is recovering and is en route to bouncing back to pre-pandemic levels. The monthly Lloyds Bak survey of 1,200 firms found overall business confidence among UK firms rose by six points to +36% in August, driven by recent improvements in trading and forecasts for stronger growth over the next year. Confidence is up in nine of Lloyds’ 12 UK regions. The biggest increases in confidence were in manufacturing, services and construction. (BBC News)
COP26 delegates to be spared Covid testing requirements
Delegates heading to the Cop26 climate conference in Glasgow in November won’t have to pay for the day two PCR test required of all arrivals into the UK, The Daily Mail reports. According to the Mail, delegates won’t have to fill in passenger locator forms either. Delegates invited to attend from red list countries will also be spared the testing rules. All arrivals for the conference, though, will have to test negative before they travel to the UK. The paper also reports the government will insist on regular testing during the conference. (The Daily Mail)
