Business leaders in the East Midlands say the time has come for Government to bring in new and simpler guidelines for international travel.
Following the latest change to the traffic-light travel restriction rules, they have called for a clearer system as well as cheaper tests and more freedom for double vaccinated travellers.
Transport secretary Grant Shapps had to defend changes to England's traffic light travel system – which means travellers coming back from France no longer have to self-isolate on their return – as up to 6,000 holidaymakers in Mexico found themselves deciding whether to return home early before new quarantine rules kick in on Sunday.
He said restrictions would now be reviewed every three weeks so people can travel "without looking over their shoulders".
East Midlands Chamber chief executive Scott Knowles said adding more countries to the green list, including Germany, Norway, Austria and Malta, was a positive step forward, as was the decision to “desensitise” the test and trace system earlier this week after so many people got pinged.
He said: “This continues to demonstrate that we ultimately need a fundamental overhaul of the travel system.
“The brief creation of an “amber-plus” list was a disastrous blow to consumer confidence and while its relatively swift removal was welcomed, we think it’s time to go even further and abolish the amber list altogether.
“Simplifying the traffic light system into red and green lists, with more countries added to the latter for restriction-free travel, will remove the ambiguity and finally give people the confidence they need to go abroad.
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“We should also seriously consider allowing all double-vaccinated passengers to arrive in the 海角视频 without quarantining, no matter which country they arrive from, and step up the limited progress we’ve made so far in driving down the prohibitive costs of Covid tests required by the system.
“East Midlands Airport is one of our region’s most crucial assets and is at the heart of many big plans to boost our economy and jobs.
“Despite the growth of its cargo operation, its core business involves transporting passengers. Therefore, it’s vital 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 a VAT rebate scheme for the sector should be considered immediately to ensure our airports remain viable.”
An East Midlands Airport spokesperson welcomed the movement of more countries to the green and amber lists – in what is effectively the final review of the traffic light lists before the end of the summer holidays.
He said: “Together with the new freedoms for fully vaccinated travellers, these changes will enable more people to enjoy a holiday, or reconnect with friends and family, in a growing list of countries.
“It is encouraging to finally see decisions that reflect the data on the ground in these destinations and close the gap with the approach being taken in other countries.
“The Government must now take this opportunity to develop a stable, sustainable and affordable system that gives people the confidence to book ahead through the autumn, winter and into next year.”