Brittany Ferries welcomes France's move from 'amber plus' list

Plymouth-headquartered cross channel operator predicts surge in holiday makers going abroad to beat pricey staycations

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William TelfordBusiness Editor, Plymouth Live

13:53, 5 AUG 2021

Plymouth-based Brittany Ferries is hoping to cash in on the Government’s decision to remove France from the confusing “amber plus” list meaning travellers to England no longer have to self-isolate for 10 days.

Fully vaccinated holidaymakers returning from France will be free from the restriction as of Sunday, August 8. The ��Ƶ’s nearest neighbour has been in a category all by itself because of concerns about levels of the beta variant of Covid-19 there.

The return of France to the amber list signals a green light for an August get-away to Brittany, Normandy or the Loire, Brittany Ferries said. The French-owned company, which sails to France and Spain from Plymouth and Portsmouth, said it still has late availability on a range of sail-and-stay holidays in both those countries.

Brittany Ferries in the news

And unlike with ��Ƶ staycations proving to be costly as demand increased, Brittany Ferries said the cost for a family of four for a week away in France of Spain can be less than £250 per person.

Hundreds of self-catering gites and camping parcs are available in Normandy, Brittany and the Loire, said the company, which saw passenger numbers severely reduced during the pandemic and had to formulate a five-year recovery plan.

“There's a hotel pricing and capacity issue in the ��Ƶ at the moment, as demand is outstripping supply,” said Paul Acheson, sales and marketing director Brittany Ferries. “That means hotels are either fully booked or significantly more expensive than in previous years.

“Ours is a great alternative. Head to the south coast, sail to France and stay in locations boasting wide open spaces, golden beaches and fabulous restaurants. There’s nothing to lose now that transport secretary Grant Shapps has confirmed no change to new rules for at least the next month.”

The Government announced Spain would keep its amber status, but urged travellers arriving from Spain to take a PCR test for the mandatory pre-departure test “as a precaution against the increased prevalence of the virus and variants in the country”.

Aside from the changes to France’s status, seven countries will be added to England’s green travel list from 4am on Sunday, the Government announced. Anyone returning from Germany, Austria, Slovenia, Slovakia, Latvia, Romania and Norway will no longer need to quarantine on arrival.

India, Bahrain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates will be moved from the red to the amber list, meaning arrivals will no longer have to spend 11 nights in a quarantine hotel.

There are currently 24 countries on the green list, including the popular holiday destinations of Barbados, Croatia and Malta – but 16 of these are on the “green watch list” meaning they could suddenly be moved to amber.

Australia and New Zealand are both unambiguously green – unfortunately neither are welcoming British travellers at the moment. Mexico, Georgia and the French overseas territories of La Reunion and Mayotte are joining the red list.

The changes to the restrictions list have been welcomed by business organisations - but they want more relaxation to help the travel industry.

Matthew Fell, CBI chief ��Ƶ policy director, said: “Today’s green list extension will offer some relief to the international travel sector, which has suffered more than most during the pandemic and still faces a long road to full recovery. Restoring freedom of travel to these countries will enable firms to salvage a limited summer season.

“However, defining a strategy for a more comprehensive resumption of travel that is safe, simple and certain remains an urgent priority.

“Vaccine rollout has created an opportunity for the ��Ƶ to move beyond Covid travel restrictions to new travel norms which restore passenger confidence and protect jobs and skills. This will be vital to ensure the ��Ƶ’s travel industry remains robust to fulfil its unique role in the country’s economic recovery.”

James Martin, director of policy at the British Chambers of Commerce, said: “Whilst the removal of the amber plus category and the addition of further countries to the green list will be welcome news for businesses in the travel sector and beyond, now is the time for the Government to fundamentally simplify the traffic light system for international travel.

“Businesses need the confidence and clarity provided by a system which places countries in either green or red categories, removing the ambiguity of the amber designation, which now relies on very different rules for the vaccinated and non-vaccinated.

“The Government should also step-up efforts to drive down the cost of tests required by the system; limited progress has been made in this area so far and the cost remains a significant barrier to both business and leisure travellers.

“It is also vital that the Government takes steps to protect airport capacity, which will be crucial for the economic recovery. Providing a 12-month Business Rates holiday and reinstating VAT rebate scheme for the sector should be considered immediately to ensure our airports remain viable.”

Kevin Craven, chief executive of aerospace industry body ADS, said: “Successful vaccination programmes and international efforts to bring the pandemic under control are allowing freedom to travel to return. This week’s additions to the green list and new arrangements for vaccinated arrivals into the ��Ƶ from the EU and US are welcome measures that build on this success.

“Flight numbers around the world have begun to rise from the lows seen over the last 18 months and aircraft production is expected to ramp up during the next two years, which boosts hope for the future and for restoring ��Ƶ aerospace output to pre-crisis levels. However, there is still a long way to go to achieve a full recovery in the sector, with challenges remaining for many employers.”