English holidaymakers may cancel their trips to Scotland if they have to quarantine, tourism chiefs have claimed.
Marc Crothall of the Scottish Tourism Alliance said businesses had been contacted by customers asking about refunds.
The First Minister has said the Government has no plans to impose quarantine on people travelling to Scotland from other parts of the UK, but she has also declined to rule out the measure.
Crothall said yesterday: “It has clearly never been more important than for the governments of the four nations of the UK to be working closely together over the coming days and weeks to ensure that their strategies for suppressing the virus are consistent and can offer the public the confidence they need.”
He added: “Any restrictions on domestic travel will have a significantly negative impact on the sector.
“In fact, I know of a few businesses who have received enquiries from people south of the Border who have become concerned about a potential quarantine and have asked for reassurance of a full refund should a quarantine come into force.”
At her daily briefing, the First Minister said she “understood” the STA concerns, but said they should also worry “about the prospects of having an increase in cases of the virus in some of our beautiful tourist spots”.
Asked if tourists from other parts of the UK were welcome to make Scottish bookings from July 15, when tourism reopens, Sturgeon said: “People in England are welcome in Scotland, that’s always been the case and always will be the case.
“I cannot guarantee that we will have no need to impose any kind of restrictions to keep this virus under control.
“Anybody who thinks I should do that right now is coming at this from completely the wrong perspective.
“I will never take any decisions associated with this virus lightly but I will take the decisions that are necessary to protect the Scottish population.
“It’s by protecting the health of the country that I do most to protect the health of the economy and give it the best possible chance of recovering in a sustainable way.”
Scottish Tory leader Jackson Carlaw said: “As the SNP government knows, the practical implications of quarantining everyone who crosses the border into Scotland are staggering.
“Any suggestion that Scotland will be closing its borders to England clearly jeopardises that vital market at a time when it is desperately needed.”
