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The scrapping of pre-departure coronavirus testing for people arriving in the UK has resulted in a leap in interest in international travel, companies have reported.
The measure, which was introduced in the run-up to Christmas to combat the Omicron variant, will be withdrawn from 4am on Friday across the UK now Scotland has decided to follow the rest of the country in withdrawing the demand.
People will also no longer have to isolate until they get a negative PCR test, but will instead have to take a lateral flow test at the end of day two after arriving. A positive result would demand a follow-up PCR.
The changes had been demanded by a frustrated travel sector.
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The Omicron spread, now deemed too prevalent to make pre-departure tests practical, coincided with the industry’s second-busiest time of year – the festive season – and resulted in a host of bookings being postponed or cancelled as confidence evaporated.
It piled more misery on an industry that, along with hospitality, has suffered the most in terms of employment and financial losses since the outset of the crisis in 2020.
But easyJet reported on Thursday that it had seen a boost of almost 200% in UK bookings, with demand to some destinations rising by more than 400% week on week.
The airline did not put any actual numbers on the bookings, as such information is corporately sensitive.
How are the PCR test rules changing around the UK?
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By the same token, British Airways told Sky News its holidays arm had seen…
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Source : skynews
