The UK government has missed a deadline for grading international travel destinations in a traffic light system designed to help the world's battered tourism industry and persuade the public that travel is safe.
May 1 was set as the latest date that a list of travel destinations could be published if the traffic light system is to be in place by May 17 – the earliest date possible for international travel under the UK road map out of coronavirus lockdowns.
The Department for Transport has named "early May" as the deadline and said May 1 was not a fixed deadline.
Travel industry executives have been left "in the dark", said Huw Merriman, the chairman of the Transport Select Committee which set the May 1 deadline, who also warned the uncertainty "could cost people their jobs".
Under the traffic light system, countries will be labelled red, amber or green.
Countries designated red would have the strictest conditions for travellers, which could include enforced two-week quarantines.
Green countries could require as little as a couple of days self-testing, with travellers fast-tracked through border control.
"There are just 16 days until international travel is expected to resume on May 17. Incredibly, passengers and industry are still in the dark about which countries they can visit and the requirements to do so," said Mr Merriman.
"Having expected the rules to be published in April, the transport committee urged the government to deliver to a May 1 deadline to populate the traffic-light framework with destination countries.
“This is the bare minimum of planning that the industry and consumers need to begin any sort of preparations for a restart of international travel on May 17. Instead, uncertainty has been prolonged. This uncertainty could cost people their jobs.”
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People relax in St. James's Park, London. Reuters
May 17 is the date the UK Government hopes to further ease lockdown restrictions, including the opening of restaurants for indoor dining and of entertainment venues, including cinemas.
But lockdown conditions will only be eased if the country hits four targets, including low infection rates.
Airports, meanwhile have been readying for the easing of travel restrictions. They are looking at using automated e-passport gates for arrivals from green countries and separate queues for those arriving from red nations.
