YESTERDAY’S announcement by the UK Government that all travel restriction are to be lifted for those entering the country has been warmly received by the Scotland’s travel personnel.
The Scottish Passenger Agents’ Association (SPAA), which represents the country’s travel agents and outbound travel sector trusts that the Scottish Government will follow a four nations’ approach and announce their alignment. The SPAA has been lobbying on behalf of its members to remove the restrictions to enable recovery of the outbound and inbound travel sectors.
Mike Tibbert, president of The Scottish Passenger Agents’ Association (SPAA), the professional body for travel agents and the travel sector in Scotland, commented:
“As we enter the week which marks two years since the country locked down, this is indeed welcome news. We have been calling for an end to these restrictions to allow our members to be able to return to ‘business as usual’ and for Scotland’s traveller to take to the skies without concerns about testing, isolation and a passenger locator form (PLF) which even the transport secretary Grant Shapps described as “ridiculously complicated”. So, today’s news is the boost both our members and the industry need.”
“The news this week that the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) and the International Air Transport Association (IATA) are calling for the patchwork of remaining restrictions in the EU to be lifted also is another piece in completing the jigsaw of freedom of international travel.”
“Our members can now look forward to building customer confidence without the restrictions hanging over travellers. Our sector has been damaged more than most by the pandemic, with support for Scottish agents coming very late in the day. We can now look forward to getting holidaymakers back in the sky and business travellers back in business globally.”
“Travellers shouldn’t forget that whilst the restrictions for those entering the UK have been removed, there remain various restrictions in countries around the world and these can be complex to navigate. Travel agents are ready to help their clients navigate these and ensure that they can comply with them. People can find their local agents using the travel agent finder on our website https://spaa.org/travel-agent-finder/“
The SPAA, celebrated its centenary in 2021 and is the world’s oldest organisation representing travel agents. It currently has 120 member companies, all their associated agencies across Scotland including many home workers, and 92 associate members across the travel and transport industry.
