Businesses are feeling the brunt of the ‘Spanish’ quarantine. Seven out of ten travel management companies report that it’s negatively impacting the business travel industry’s recovery.
The Business Travel Association (BTA) has asked for urgent transparency from the Government over the quarantine decision-making process to help restore corporate confidence.
In a letter to the Secretary of State for Transport, the CEO of the BTA, Clive Wratten, reveals the knock-on effect of the weekend’s ‘Spanish’ quarantine announcement on business travellers’ confidence in going abroad.
Wratten said: “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. Whilst it was the right decision for our nation’s health, we need to work with the Government to help corporate travellers make informed choices.”
The BTA has asked the Department for Transport to provide urgent clarity on how decisions to impose quarantine are made. Answers to the following four questions are critical.
- 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.”
He concluded: “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.”