MPs urge ministers to discourage foreign holidays

It comes as a decision on travel restrictions is due later this month

MPs have warned that restrictions on foreign holidays should be maintained to protect the UK from Covid-19 variants.

The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Coronavirus have urged the Government to “discourage all international leisure travel”.

However, a travel firm boss says there has been “great progress” in countries such as Portugal and Spain in preparing for the return of holidaymakers.

Thomas Cook chief executive Alan French expects most popular destinations, particularly in Europe, to be open to UK holidaymakers.

He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “When the holidays proper start at the end of June, we are expecting most of the countries that the UK goes on holiday to – Europe particularly – to be open.

“We are expecting Portugal, Spain, Greece, Croatia and so forth to be open, it would be nice if Turkey was open.

“When we look at what is going on in those countries, both in terms of infection rates and how they are preparing for holidaymakers, I think there is great progress being made.”

Foreign Office minister James Cleverly says that he recognises a “natural desire to go further and to go faster” with the road map but the Government’s priority is to make changes when “safe” to do so.

He told Sky News: “I get that a lot of people over the course of the last year or so have missed travelling, they have missed seeing family and loved ones – I totally, totally get that.

“I understand the desire to move forward as quickly as possible but we have always said we will do this at a pace that is safe, that gives the scientists enough time to properly analyse the data after each set of restrictions are lifted.”

Published: 03/05/2021 by Radio NewsHub

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