Thank you for writing to me about the ongoing restrictions on travel abroad.
I recognise that most of us have not been able to get abroad for a holiday or even to see friends and family for many months now. The Government’s current approach is in my view too cautious and too restrictive, with all the problems that creates for people who just want a well-deserved break, not to mention for all the jobs the travel industry supports.
I have raised concerns with ministers about inconsistencies in the travel advice that are causing serious problems for holidaymakers. This is particularly true of the Amber List, which does not line up properly with official FCO travel advice. That can mean travellers cannot claim on their insurance when their holiday is impacted and are not even entitled to a refund if their package holiday firm does not cancel their flights to Amber List destinations.
I am also concerned about the ‘flip flops’ that have occurred on the travel list at short notice. I raised concerns about the impact this has on travellers last summer, and I do fear that not enough lessons have been learned. My own view is that, given the success of our vaccine rollout, vaccinated UK travellers should no longer be facing draconian restrictions, and I will continue to make that case to ministers on behalf of my constituents. There have been encouraging statements made recently about allowing vaccinated travellers to escape quarantine, but we need to see the full detail brought forward as soon as possible.
Some of the difficulties of foreign travel at the moment are out of the hands of the Government, as we have seen with the disappointing restrictions from countries like Germany, Portugal and France on British holidaymakers. I am lobbying Government to do their level best to get a sensible fair playing field in place to enable vaccinated travellers to be able to move freely.
