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Save Future Travel Coalition pins hopes on reopening roadmap

Save Future Travel Coalition pins hopes on reopening roadmap

The Save Future Travel Coalition has reiterated its hopes for an upcoming speech from Boris Johnson.

The prime minister is expected to provide details on how the country is to reopen following the latest Covid-19 shutdown on Monday.

“No industry more urgently needs positive news,” a statement from the coalition argued.

The tourism sector has been hit hardest by the pandemic, with many businesses and thousands of jobs already lost to the crisis.

The group includes ABTA, Advantage Travel Partnership, AITO, the Scottish Passenger Agents’ Association, Seasonal Businesses in Travel and UKinbound, among others.

A release added: “We need the government to work with us on a roadmap to recovery and we hope Boris Johnson speaks to this in his address to the nation on Monday.

“The travel industry, which plays such an important role in the UK economy, cannot afford to lose another summer season to the pandemic, nor can we wait for the full rollout of the vaccination programme before people start to travel.

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“The government must work to get people travelling in time for the summer, recognising that the return to normal life will never be entirely risk-free.”

ABTA itself issued a similar warning earlier this week.

The Save Future Travel Coalition explained: “What we would like to hear from government are the principles for restarting travel, including working with other countries to develop an internationally recognised vaccine certificate.

“This evidence, alongside testing, is certain to accelerate the reopening of travel.

“There also needs to be recognition that not everyone can or will want to be vaccinated, so a practical and cost-effective testing regime will be critical.”

Finally: “The government also needs to move Foreign Office travel advice to a regional as opposed to a whole country basis, and ensure the advice focuses on the risk to a person in destination.

“The current bans on school trips and cruises also need to be reviewed in the light of an improving medical landscape.

“We will also call for coordination, where possible, between the four UK nations.”