The Business Travel Association (BTA) has asked the UK
government to provide urgent transparency on its travel quarantine
decision-making process after travellers were left with just six hours＊ notice
of measures coming back into effect for arrivals from Spain over the weekend.
According to the BTA, seven out of ten TMCs report the
decision to re-impose self-isolation measures on those arriving from Spain is
negatively impacting the business travel industry＊s recovery. CEO Clive Wratten
has written to transport secretary Grant Shapps 每 himself caught up in the new
measures after travelling to Spain just hours before the announcement was made 每
saying the move is having a knock-on effect on business travellers＊ confidence
in going abroad.
※The decision to reintroduce the quarantine with no warning
means that many businesspeople are unlikely to travel this year,§ Wratten said.
※This is a mortal blow for our industry. Whilst it was the right decision for
our nation＊s health, we need to work with the government to help corporate
travellers make informed choices.§
The BTA has asked the Department for Transport to provide
clarity on how decisions to impose quarantine are made, including what level of
transmission triggers the imposition of measures, what factors other than
transmission rate are taken into account, how the government will decide to
remove quarantine when it is safe, and how often reviews will take place.
Wratten continued: ※This vital information will enable
travel management companies to anticipate and prepare for future changes to
travel advice. Our members can then provide better counsel to the British
businesses they serve, restoring confidence in business travel.
※Since March, business travel has fallen by 90 per cent. If
this trend continues throughout 2020, business travel＊s contribution to GDP
will fall by ?150 billion, whilst nearly 10,000 jobs in our sector will
disappear forever.§