Travel bosses welcome expected scrapping of pre-return Covid test for fully vaccinated

Ministers are likely to announce that the rule for returning passengers will be scrapped

(Picture: PA Wire)

Travel bosses have welcomed as a “step forward” the expected scrapping this week of the requirement for vaccinated travellers to take a Covid test before returning to the UK.

Ministers are on Wednesday likely to announce that the rule — one of a range imposed last month to slow down the spread of the Omicrom variant — will be dropped.

Henk van Klaveren, of the Airport Operators Association, said: “It deterred a lot of people from travelling because they were worried about getting a negative result while they were away and getting stuck.

“That can have huge cost implications because of having to stay in hotels and so on. It is a step forward. It was a temporary measure and now the Government has to look at the other temporary measures such as the need to self-isolate until you get a negative PCR result on return.

“Also the type of test needed was stepped down to lateral flow in October but went back up to PCR in December.”

Paul Charles, of the PC Agency travel consultancy, said: “We need to go back to the less expensive lateral flow tests that were acceptable before Omicron which we now know is less severe than Delta.

“Bookings are okay for summer but travel is a 365-days-a-year industry and we need to encourage bookings at Easter and all the other times of year. These measures act as a lid on the recovery in travel.”