WTTC Lashes Out at British Government on Travel Crackdown

Caribbean News Digital Newsroom

The World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) has steadfastly rejected the new actions taken by the British government on the travel industry in an effort to stop the spread of the new coronavirus variants and prevent its vaccination program from getting hurt. 

“WTTC is implacably opposed to quarantines as while protecting the public is paramount, there needs to be a balance struck between health and economic priorities,” said Gloria Guevara, WTTC President & CEO. “These latest government proposals, to impose a 10-day hotel quarantine on those UK inbound travellers originating from so-called “high-risk” countries, will still cause enormous damage to the Travel & Tourism sector.” 

Mrs. Guevara also said the WTTC firmly believes testing on departure and arrival for all travellers is the only way to halt the spread of the virus in its tracks, while still allowing negative testing passengers to travel in safety and restore international mobility. “We will continue to urge the government to abandon ineffective and highly destructive quarantines,” she added in a statement.

According to the WTTC, the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and many other major international organizations do not recommend quarantines, labeling them as “ineffective public health measures.” 

In its statement, the WTTC urges the British government to be transparent about the metric used to label a country as “high risk”, as well as on having a clear exit strategy and more details on its testing on arrival policy.

“Together, these will enable travellers, holidaymakers and businesses across the Travel & Tourism sector to be confident there is a clear road map for the return of international travel,” Mrs. Guevara concluded.