By Bev Fearis, published 29/07/20
TMCs are demanding urgent clarity on how quarantine decisions are made so they can better advise clients and help restore confidence in business travel.
In a letter to the UK’s Secretary of State for Transport, the Business Travel Association (BTA) said the decision to reimpose the Spanish quarantine at the weekend, without warning, will be highly damaging to the sector’s recovery.
The association’s CEO Clive Wratten wrote: “The decision to reintroduce the quarantine with no warning means that many business people are unlikely to travel this year. This is a mortal blow for our industry.”
He said 70% of TMCs report that the decision is negatively impacting the industry’s recovery.
The BTA has asked the Department for Transport to provide urgent clarity on how decisions to impose quarantine are made with four key questions:
• What level of transmission triggers the imposition of quarantine?
• What factors other than transmission rate are taken into account?
• How will Government decide to remove the quarantine?
• How often will reviews 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.”
