Earlier today Boris Johnson announced that UK nationals and residents returning from countries at high risk from new coronavirus variants will be requested to quarantine in hotels for “for ten days without exception.”
Speaking in the House of Commons Mr Johnson said: “All such arrivals who cannot be refused entry to isolate in government-provided accommodation – such as hotels – for ten days without exception. They will be met at the airport and transported directly into quarantine.”
The new restriction, which is one of the toughest measures adopted by any European country could mark a further major blow to travel industry.
Rory Boland, Editor of Which? Travel, said: “Mandatory quarantine in airport hotels for some UK arrivals will help reduce the spread of new variants of coronavirus. But the cost and practicality of doing so – especially if arrivals from additional countries are required to do so at short notice – will not only put people off booking holidays this year, but also potentially prevent thousands of the rebooked holidays from last year’s cancellations from going ahead.
“Despite non-essential travel being made illegal, negative tests being required before travelling to the UK, and now hotel quarantine for some arrivals, the government is still allowing airlines to refuse refunds for customers who can no longer fly. If it wants to improve compliance and reduce non-essential travel, airlines should be made to issue refunds for flights passengers cannot take without breaking the law.
“The travel industry has been propped up over the last year by people who rebooked their holidays or accepted Refund Credit Notes. It’s clear now that many of these will no longer be of use, so it’s only right that passengers who now want refunds can get them without the endless delays and law-breaking that we saw in 2020.”
