Leading travel firm Trailfinders demands end to Day 2 testing

‘UK staff have spent 20,000 nights abroad since the outbreak of the pandemic, with just three mild cases of Covid caught whilst abroad,’ says holiday company

Waiting game: arrival at airports such as Heathrow must self-isolate until the result of a PCR test is known (Simon Calder)

One of the UK’s biggest travel firms has attacked the latest government travel restrictions – calling them “futile” and saying they have caused “untold grief”.

In its latest blog for travellers, Trailfinders says: “Going on holiday is straightforward, getting home is where the admin currently kicks in.

“We can be hopeful that 3 January will see the end of the test before return and the end of the ‘Day two’ test on return.

“Given most travellers are returning home from countries with a far lower incidence of Covid these are futile and have done nothing to contain Covid while causing untold grief and collateral damage yet to be measured.”

On 27 November, the transport secretary, Grant Shapps, tweeted: “With the first cases of Omicron variant identified in the UK, we’re taking extra measures to protect public health.

“All fully vaccinated arrivals to the UK are required to self-isolate when they arrive, take a PCR test on or before day two, and continue to self-isolate until they receive a negative result.”

He said they were “targeted measures to provide confidence and protection”.

A week later, a pre-departure test was added to the requirements – taking travellers back to the testing regime that prevailed over the summer.

The government said on 14 December: “Testing for arrivals and self-isolation requirements for vaccinated travellers will be reviewed again early in the new year on 5 January.”

The travel firm’s blog – titled “Many Happy Returns” – continues: “Trailfinders’ UK staff travel have seen some 20,000 nights spent abroad since the outbreak of the pandemic, with just three mild cases of Covid caught whilst abroad.

“The test before return and the bulk of the tests we do within the UK are lateral flows with quick responses. Why is the day two test a PCR? These take a day or more to get results and it can be several days for postal tests, especially when bank holidays feature.”

A government spokesperson said: “These temporary measures will help to slow the spread of Omicron in the UK by reducing importations – buying more time to bolster health services, roll-out boosters and learn more about the strain. They will be reviewed again in the first week of January.

“We recognise that these restrictions will impact the travel and tourism industry and that’s why businesses have been able to draw from an unprecedented £350bn package of government support since the start of the pandemic, including around £8bn for the air transport sector.”

Meanwhile, Paul Willis, corporate strategy director for Manchester Airports Group, told a webinar organised by Capa, the Centre for Aviation: “The pre-departure test was the killer. Testing on arrival we can accept.”

He said that the group – which includes Stansted and East Midlands airports – had recovered to about 70 per cent of pre-Covid passenger levels.

“We’ve seen that dramatically reduce because of the testing regime in place. We’re probably down at 45 per cent of pre-Covid levels now.”

In the past few days, both France and Germany have imposed bans on UK travellers to try to stem the spread of the Omicron variant of coronavirus.