Covid UK: Travel industry chiefs slam 'crippling' decision to axe Portugal from green list

Travel industry chiefs slam ‘crippling’ decision to axe Portugal from green list and warn tens of thousands of UK jobs are at stake

Travel industry chiefs blasted the Government’s ‘crippling’ decision to axe Portugal from its green list
Grant Shapps said Portugal is being moved to amber list from 4am Tuesday following a rise in positive tests
But travel chiefs including TUI UK and easyJet said science does not justify ‘damage’ being done to sector

Published: 14:51 EDT, 3 June 2021 | Updated: 16:59 EDT, 3 June 2021

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Travel industry chiefs today blasted the Government’s ‘crippling’ and ‘confusing’ decision to axe Portugal from its green list of safe destinations amid growing concern over the Nepal coronavirus variant.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps announced the Mediterranean country, whose economy relies greatly on British tourism, is being moved to the amber list from 4am Tuesday following a rise in positive tests.

But travel chiefs including TUI UK and easyJet said the science does not justify the ‘damage’ being done to the devastated sector, while the Portuguese government called the move ‘illogical’ and ‘overly cautious’.

Just one case of the Nepal variant, which combines mutations from the Indian and South African strains, has been detected in Portugal. By comparison, at least 43 cases have been identified in the UK so far.

The Airport Operators Association called on ministers to provide a bailout to save jobs if it blocks another holiday season, as it warned this summer could be ‘worse than last summer, which was the worst in aviation history’.

Meanwhile, UK holidaymakers have revealed on Twitter they cancelling their planned trips to Portugal ahead of Tuesday, while others have admitted they will knock overseas holidays on the head this year.

It comes as Britain recorded more than 5,000 daily coronavirus cases for the first time in more than two months while 18 more people died from the virus as the Indian variant became the dominant strain in the country.

TUI UK boss Andrew Flintham (left) called the announcement ‘another step back for our industry’. EasyJet chief executive Johan Lundgren (right) said: ‘This shock decision to add Portugal to the Amber list is a huge blow to those who are currently in Portugal and those who have booked to be reunited with loved ones, or take a well-deserved break this summer’

Portugal (pictured: A beach in Cascais near Lisbon) has been dropped from the UK’s travel green list – in a move that will be a bitter blow to millions of Britons hoping for a holiday abroad this summer

Just one case of the Nepal variant, which combines mutations from the Indian and South African strains, was detected in Portugal

At least 43 cases of the Nepal coronavirus variant have been identified in the UK

UK holidaymakers scramble to cancel their planned trips to Portugal ahead of the Tuesday deadline, with some revealing they are knocking overseas holidays on the head this year

Nepal variant ‘could have been spread by Everest climbers’

Sources said the mutant strain has been detected in more than 20 Britons and is closely related to the Indian variant currently dominant in the UK

A coronavirus variant that is being linked to Nepal could have been spread by climbers travelling home from Mount Everest, experts say.

As many as 13 passengers flying from Nepal to Japan were infected with the new mutant strain that combines mutations from the Indian and South African variants.

At least 43 cases have been spotted in the UK, MailOnline revealed today, with the strain first spotted on April 24 according to surveillance data. Cases were also detected in the US, India and Portugal.

Its mutations mean scientists fear it could be more infectious, and more resistant to vaccines.

Matt Hancock said yesterday Britain is preparing to buy millions of tweaked doses of the AstraZeneca jab that target the South African variant.

SAGE scientists think it makes jabs at least 30 per cent less effective against infections, but its impact on severe disease is not known.

Ministers sparked surge testing in postcode areas where the strain was detected, to root out every last case.

At least one case has been spotted in Portugal, which sources say will move to the ‘amber’ list today sparking holiday misery across the country.

Only one case of the variant has been recorded in Nepal so far, but the country carries out very little surveillance for mutant strains. The UK has placed Nepal and India on its ‘red’ list, and the US is on its ‘amber’ list.

In a statement to MailOnline, package holiday firm TUI UK called the announcement ‘another step back for our industry’ and demanded to see the scientific basis for the decision.

Its managing director, Andrew Flintham, said: ‘After promises that the Global Travel Taskforce would result in a clear framework, removing the damaging flip flopping we all endured last summer, the Government decision to move Portugal straight from green to amber will do untold damage to customer confidence.

‘We were reassured that a green watch list would be created and a weeks’ notice would be given so travellers wouldn’t have to rush back home. They have failed on this promise.

‘Unlike other European countries and despite multiple requests, the government has refused to be transparent about the data requirements for green, amber and red destinations.

‘We must see the methodology so we can help our customers and plan our operations accordingly. There are destinations around the world with little or no Covid-19 cases and good vaccination rates, so we need to understand why these remain on the amber list.’

EasyJet chief executive Johan Lundgren said: ‘This shock decision to add Portugal to the Amber list is a huge blow to those who are currently in Portugal and those who have booked to be reunited with loved ones, or take a well-deserved break this summer.

‘With Portuguese rates similar to those in the UK it simply isn’t justified by the science.

‘And to add no more countries to the Green list when most of Europe’s infection rates are on a downward trend and many places with low infection rates below that of the UK, such as the Balearics with a current rate of 33 in 100,000 and Malta, with just 12 in 100,000, this makes no sense.

‘Especially when domestic travel is allowed within the UK, despite a number of cities having infection rates 20 times greater than much of Europe.

‘When this framework was put together, consumers were promised a waiting list to allow them to plan. Yet the Government has torn up its own rule book and ignored the science, throwing peoples’ plans into chaos, with virtually no notice or alternative options for travel from the UK.

‘This decision essentially cuts the UK off from the rest of the world.

‘We have demonstrated that a safe reopening of travel is possible as our study with leading epidemiologists from the Yale School of Public Health showed that the criteria which matters most is the impact on hospitalisation rates back in the UK, not the infection rates in destination.

‘Reopening travel to much of Europe would have a negligible impact on hospitalisation rates in the UK.

‘While our European fleet is gearing up for summer as European governments open up travel for their citizens, the UK government is making it impossible for airlines to plan while consumers are left grounded in UK.’

Shares in easyJet, British Airways-owner IAG and Jet2 were down five per cent on fears that Europe would lose another peak travel season, when millions of Britons usually head to southern Europe in July and August.

Ryanair and TUI, which has a big German customer base as well as British, lost four per cent.

Data provided by Cirium showed that Ryanair and easyJet had been scheduled to operate more than 500 flights from the UK to Portugal in June. The airlines had all added flights to the country in May.

The industry is already weakened by 15 months of lockdowns, forcing it to cut tens of thousands of jobs and take on debt, and it will be severely challenged if there is no reopening this summer.

The news is also likely to sound the alarm in France, Spain, Greece and Italy where thousands of jobs rely on the arrival of high-spending British tourists each summer.

Portugal’s foreign ministry said it did not understand the ‘logic’ behind the decision.

‘We took note of Britain’s decision to remove Portugal from the green list,’ the ministry said on Twitter, adding that it would continue to ease its lockdown rules ‘gradually’.

No countries are being added to the ‘green list’, dashing hopes that places such as Malta, Jamaica and Grenada could be added to the roster thanks to easing Covid rates.

And more countries are being put on the ‘red list’ that means returning travellers must go into quarantine hotels. They are Egypt, Sri Lanka, Costa Rica, Bahrain, Sudan, Trinidad and Tobago and Afghanistan.

Mr Shapps said there had been a rise in test positivity in Portugal, and also pointed to the danger that the coronavirus variant linked to Nepal could pose a fresh threat to the escape from lockdown.

As well as Portugal being moved to the amber list from Tuesday at 4am, seven countries are being shifted to the red list

Scientists have alerted ministers to the mutant strain – thought to have originated in Nepal – which has apparently spread to Europe. Pictured: Passengers arriving at Heathrow Airport

HAVE SUN-SEEKING BRITS PLAYED A ROLE IN PORTUGAL’S RISING INFECTION RATE?

Portugal’s Covid infection rates were already rising before Brits were allowed to holiday in the country, data shows.

The country was one of the 12 countries to be named by Grant Shapps on May 7 as on the green list.

Since May 17, UK citizens have been allowed to travel to the Algarve and Portugal’s other popular tourism hotspots quarantine-free.

They were still required to take a Covid test before and after travelling, meaning only very few would have been able to bring the virus into the country.

Yesterday Portugal recorded 724 infections yesterday, its highest daily number of cases since March .

And the country currently has a case rate of around 37 infections per 100,000 people – higher than the UK’s rate of 34.5.

But cases have been rising steadily since May 11 — six days before Brits were allowed to travel to the country — when there were 268 positive tests.

Portugal’s rising Covid infection rates have been linked to Brits holidaying in the country but cases were already rising before it was green-listed for travel

Graph shows: Portugal’s confirmed Covid cases per million people since the start of the pandemic

Portugal recorded just 377 new Covid cases on May 7, when it was announced it would be on the UK’s green list.

Since then cases have risen 56 per cent, with cases rising 34 per cent in the last fortnight in contrast to neighbouring Spain — on the amber list — which has seen infections drop.

Its average cases per million people dipped below the UK’s briefly from May 10 (31.98) to May 13 (34.38) for the first time since April 7.

But they began steadily rising before Britons were allowed to enter the country without quarantining on return.

And the rate of increase has remained stable since that date, increasing 20.3 per cent in the last week.

Portugal and Brunei are the only two countries of the 12 on the green list to have seen infections rise since May 17.

Portugal’s average cases per million people dipped below the UK’s briefly from May 10 (31.98) to May 13 (34.38) for the first time since April 7

Some 16,500 football fans traveled to Porto last weekend for the Champions League final between Chelsea and Manchester City.

Thousands packed the city’s bars, with many pictured ignoring social distancing rules and not wearing face masks.

It forced Porto’s health authority to tell residents who were near the fan zones to ‘reduce contacts’ over the next few weeks and look out for Covid symptoms.

But any effect on cases from the British fans travelling to the country will not be recorded for another few days due to the incubation period.

It takes about five days for the virus to take hold in the body after initial infection.

Just 20.8 per cent of people in Portugal have been fully vaccinated — compared to nearly half in the UK — while only 43.2 per cent have had their first jab — compared to more than three quarters of Brits.

And it is too early to tell whether the country’s swell in cases has come as a result of the Indian variant, with the results of genomic testing of Brits returning to the UK expected today.

‘I want to be straight with people, it’s actually a difficult decision to make, but in the end we’ve seen two things really which caused concern,’ he said.

‘One is the positivity rate has nearly doubled since the last review in Portugal and the other is there’s a sort of Nepal mutation of the so-called Indian variant which has been detected and we just don’t know the potential for that to be a vaccine-defeating mutation, and simply don’t want to take the risk as we come up to June 21 and the review of the fourth stage of the unlock.’

However, a British Airways spokesperson called the decision ‘incredibly disappointing’ and ‘confusing’, adding: ‘The UK has reached a critical point and urgently needs travel with low-risk countries, like the US, to restart the economy, support devastated industries and reunite loved ones.

‘With high levels of vaccinations in the UK being matched by other countries, we should see the UK Government adding destinations to ‘green’ as soon as possible – not turning its back on a traffic light model which we were led to believe was based firmly on scientific data.’

Heathrow chief executive John Holland-Kaye reacted with fury this afternoon, saying: ‘Ministers spent last month hailing the restart of international travel, only to close it down three weeks later all but guaranteeing another lost summer for the travel sector.

‘Everyone wants to protect public health, but the entire point of the Global Travel Taskforce was to establish a system to unlock low-risk travel safely.

‘Britain is the worst performing economy in the G7, and in the week that the Prime Minister hosts G7 leaders to launch his Government’s vision of Global Britain, he’s sending a message that the UK will remain isolated from the rest of the world and closed to most of its G7 partners.

‘If the Government is serious about protecting UK jobs and supporting businesses across the country, rapid action is needed to reopen flights to key trading partners, remove testing for vaccinated passengers from ‘green’ countries, and slash the cost and complexity of testing, as other G7 countries are doing.’

Gatwick Airport boss Stewart Wingate told MailOnline: ‘It is bitterly disappointing news for our impacted passengers and airlines that Portugal is to be added to the ‘amber’ list from next week while no further destinations are being opened up for ‘green’ travel.’

The chief executive of Manchester Airports Group, Charlie Cornish, accused the Government of ‘scapegoating’ international travel and risking tens of thousands of jobs.

He told MailOnline: ‘We were told the traffic light system would allow people to travel safely, with the right measures in place to manage risk for different countries.

‘But it is now clear the Government doesn’t trust its own system and that international travel is being unfairly scapegoated, with tens of thousands of jobs placed at risk in the process.

‘Low-risk destinations continue to be left off the green list despite clear evidence they are safe to visit. With case rates lower than the UK, we simply cannot understand why the likes of the Balearics, the Canaries and some Greek islands do not fall into that category.

‘If we followed the approach being taken across Europe, lots of other countries – like the United States, Germany and Italy – would also be classed as green. Instead, we’re stuck with a system that is clearly not fit for purpose and will deny people the opportunity to travel abroad safely this year.

‘The lack of transparency is shocking and totally unacceptable. If the Government has information that supports its decisions, then it needs to publish it. We have repeatedly asked for this data, but we are being left in the dark about how it is making these choices, with no opportunity for scrutiny or challenge.

‘That is not the way to go about limiting people’s freedoms and crippling the country’s travel and tourism sectors.

‘With so much at stake, we need immediate transparency and urgent action to make this system of travel restrictions fit for purpose.’

Paul Charles, chief executive of The PC Agency, suggested the Government was motivated by ‘political’ considerations rather than public health.

On the decision not to add any more countries to the green travel list he said: ‘I think it’s a terrible decision that threatens jobs and recovery in the travel sector.

‘It shows little awareness of the safe destinations globally and is at odds with how citizens from other countries such as America are travelling.

‘Those British citizens who have been fully jabbed should be given more flexibility to travel to a wider range of green destinations.

‘They are basically putting at risk tens of thousands of jobs across aviation and the travel sector, and not showing any signs of helping the sector to recover.

‘They seem to want to continue to create an atmosphere of fear among travellers, which is totally at odds with other countries.

‘There are several countries which meet the criteria to be on the green list so this is clearly a politically charged decision rather than one based on data.’

ABTA travel association boss Mark Tanzer said: ‘It’s clear that the Government’s domestic health strategy is continuing to prevent any meaningful resumption of international travel.

‘You can’t build the recovery of a multi-billion-pound sector while mass market holiday destinations remain off the green list. The removal of Portugal comes on the back on what was already a very short and cautious green list.

‘Travel agents and tour operators haven’t been able to generate income since the start of the pandemic and have been depending on the return of international travel to help bring in some much needed relief.

‘The Government now needs to come forward with tailored financial support for the sector, which recognises that the travel industry’s recovery will be slower than that in other sectors of the economy, and takes account of the unique challenges businesses in the sector are facing.

‘Travel companies are desperately worried that at a time when the market hasn’t opened up they will shortly face increased furlough and business rates costs, with support being gradually withdrawn from the end of this month.

‘It’s vital that the Government doesn’t leave these businesses behind as it focuses on the domestic unlocking.’

Steven Freudmann, chairman of Institute of Travel and Tourism, told MailOnline: ‘It’s an absolute hammer blow to the industry. The EU is about to bring in ‘green passes’ for anyone in the EU to travel freely around Europe, subject to their having been vaccinated or having tested negative.

‘The UK is in real danger of shrinking into splendid isolation whilst at the same time seeing its travel industry die a death of a thousand cuts.

‘The Government delayed 14 days before adding India to the red list, allowing 20,000 people who could have been carrying the new coronavirus strain into the UK. There is just no consistency.’

In Portugal, Joao Fernandes, President of the Algarve Tourist Board, described the UK decision to downgrade Portugal from green to amber as a ‘severe setback.’

Holidaymakers suffered a hammer blow today as Portugal was removed from the UK’s green list with Grant Shapps citing fears over the spread of the Nepal variant

Britain today recorded more than 5,000 Covid cases for the first time in more than two months while 18 more people died from the virus

‘Everybody needs a break’: British sunseekers react with fury and disbelief as No10 moves Portugal to amber list of nations

Tired of mixed messages, British sunseekers in Portugal reacted with fury and disbelief to their government’s decision to reimpose a quarantine regime for travellers coming from the popular southern European destination.

Desperate to shake off pandemic blues, John Joyce, from Newcastle, and his family decided to book a holiday in sunny Portugal as soon as Britain added it to the so-called green list of foreign destinations around three weeks ago.

‘Everybody needed a little break… a change from being stuck at home,’ the 44-year-old said as he enjoyed a beer at a restaurant in the heart of Lisbon.

Portugal was the only big beach destination placed on the list, which allowed Britons to travel there without needing to quarantine when returning home. Like Joyce, thousands packed their bags.

But on Thursday Britain shifted Portugal to its amber list due to rising COVID-19 case numbers and the risk of a mutation of the virus variant first discovered in India.

‘It’s a bit unfair,’ Joyce said. ‘There are families bringing out kids and people who booked their holidays already…and the stress involved for people, including myself,’ a visibly annoyed Joyce said.

Charlotte Cheddle, a 22-year-old from England, echoed the same feelings, urging the British government to either ‘ban international travel completely or communicate properly with people’.

‘It’s silly,’ said Cheddle, who will now have to quarantine for 10 days when she flies back. ‘We made an effort to get tested privately…We paid for everything and we have done everything to make it safe.’

Portugal has lifted most of its lockdown restrictions. The government has been heavily criticised for allowing thousands of mainly maskless English football to party in Porto during the Champions League final last weekend.

Some locals worried it could fuel a spike in cases.

The country of just over 10 million people reported 769 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday, the highest daily increase since early April. Total infections now stand at 851,031.

The British government’s decision is a huge blow for Portugal’s tourism sector, which represents a significant chunk of GDP and has Britain as one of its biggest foreign markets.

‘It’s not great for businesses but slowly we will get there – or at least I really hope so because our economy is down,’ said restaurant manager Ana Paula Gomes in Lisbon.

The head of the hotels’ association in the touristy Algarve region, Eliderico Viegas, said Britain’s move would hit the sector like a ‘bucket of cold water’.

He told Portuguese press: ‘We had a very robust and growing demand for the coming weeks from the British market, with flights increasing their capacity and hotel reservations consolidating.’

Speaking just before the announcement was made public he added: ‘It’s obvious any change will have a very significant impact on the Algarve.

‘Data from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control has just come out which places us among the three countries in Europe with the lowest accumulated incidence of coronavirus in the last 14 days per 100,000 inhabitants.

‘Before coming to Portugal a British tourist has to do a PCR test. In a European context Britain has the most advanced vaccination programme.’

Alfonso Rodriguez Badal, mayor of the municipality of Calvia which includes the popular British holiday resort of Magaluf, said the decision to keep the Balearic Islands on amber was a ‘surprise.’ He added: ‘It’s also obviously a disappointment.

‘We were confident we would go onto a green light rating because we understood people here had made a real effort to get our accumulated coronavirus rate down to a very low level to make us one of the safest if not the safest Mediterranean resort.

‘Therefore we felt this could give the UK enough confidence to let holidaymakers come here without imposing restrictions on their return.

‘It hasn’t happened but we are going to continue working towards achieving this and we are confident and hope that the next UK government revision will lead to Calvia and the Balearic Islands and the rest of Spain as well if it can happen, being given that green traffic light rating that will facilitate the arrivals of more tourists here.’

Iago Negueruela, regional Tourism Minister for the Balearic Islands which was hoping to be the sole Spanish region to be put on the UK’s green traffic light system, said he viewed the decision as that of a ‘sovereign state focused on its own domestic health situation’ in light of the June 21 Freedom Day date.

He added: ‘At the moment practically no Mediterranean holiday destination is open for the UK. We respect the British government’s decision.

‘Given the good vaccination rate in the UK if we can go onto a green rating in the next UK government revision, we’ll be in line with the estimations of the major tour operators like TUI and Jet2 who had said they would restart their operations towards the end of June.

‘The British market is a very important market for us and we hope to recover it towards the end of this month.’

Eduardo Jesus, the Regional Secretary for Culture and Tourism of Madeira, called the UK decision to demote it to amber ‘unfair and completely inadequate.’

He said: ‘We are already reacting with the British government, presenting a set of arguments we believe are valid, and pointing out that this decision is totally incorrect for Madeira, inadequate and above all, very unfair.’

He told local press: ‘The reality of Madeira has been different from the national reality for a long time, with a model adopted here for controlling entry and monitoring citizens throughout their stay in the region.

‘Furthermore, it is important to bear in mind that Madeira is in a much more advanced state with regard to the vaccination process than mainland Portugal and this is also a factor of confidence, not only for those who live here, but also for those who visit us.

‘The risk of British citizens traveling to Madeira is reduced by the fact that the overwhelming number of passengers come on direct flights.’

UK holidaymakers revealed they are planning on cancelling their trips to the country while others said they will not bother going abroad this summer.

One Twitter user said: ‘I’m due to fly to Portugal on Sunday for 7 days, so will be green when I go and amber on return? Will my holiday still go ahead??’

Another tweeted: ’17 days Portugal has been on the green list. How the hell is anyone going to have the confidence to book a foreign holiday? I certainly won’t be whilst this traffic light system is in place.’

One person wrote: ‘@jet2tweets what are our options now with Portugal going amber? Supposed to be going in 3 weeks’.

Another said: ‘It looks liuke my summer holiday is gone, so this week in Portugal is a god send’. Another added: ‘Would be funny if I hadn’t flown to Portugal this morning’.

The Government said the decision to move Portugal to the amber list followed an ‘almost doubling’ in the country’s coronavirus test positivity rate and the discovery of 68 cases of the Indian variant including some with a mutation previously seen in Nepal.

Public Health England is investigating both the Indian variant and the mutation ‘to better understand whether it could be more transmissible and less effectively tackled by vaccines’.

Nepal variant ‘could have been spread by Everest climbers’