Runnymede and Weybridge benefits from close links to Heathrow, Gatwick and London. Because of these fantastic links, it is one of the best places in the UK to work and set up a business. The aviation and travel industries are key to the success of our local economy.
Since the start of the covid pandemic, I have worked hard to fight for our aviation, travel and tourism industries. That is why I was thrilled to have the chance to discuss with constituents working in the aviation, travel and tourism industries to discuss the ongoing challenges that is facing the sector, and what they believe is needed to help weather the storm.
In this meeting, a wide range of issues were raised including the need for an agreed approach to international safety standards (something that I have been calling for since the early stages of the pandemic); international vaccine passports; and the desire for tailored financial support for the sector and an extension to current support such as the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme.
It is of course fantastic that the country is opening up again following an incredibly difficult year and a half, and I welcome the steps that have been taken to help get the sector moving. However it is evident that there is a lot of work to be done to ensure we have a system that is protected against international variants, yet versatile enough to bestow more confidence in the public to travel and what steps they need to take, in order to do so safely.
I believe that what the sector needs more than anything else is certainty and stability, and while I very much welcome the fact that fully vaccinated people are now able to travel to amber list countries without needing to quarantine upon return, I am disappointed with the introduction of changes to the tier list specifically with regard to France. This is an issue that I raised on the 19th July asking the Minister for reassurance that the next review of international travel, certainty and predictability will be looked at, and that the traffic light system will remain a three-pronged one, rather than introducing more caveats such as the one recently introduced for France. You can review my question here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4uNkP8gaHM
I will continue to make representations on behalf of the travel industry, and the many jobs and businesses which rely on it, and sincerely hope that we achieve an international travel system that is flexible enough to adapt to the situation without needing to stay closed; a travel industry that you could describe as ‘immune’ from covid.
