UAE amber move widens scope for leisure and corporate travel

Leisure and business travel bosses say the decision to put the United Arab Emirates on the amber list will boost sales immediately.

The move was among several traffic light changes announced by the government on Wednesday evening.

John Bevan, divisional senior vice-president for Gold Medal parent dnata Travel Group, said the decision to move the UAE to amber was good news not just for the destination but for others now accessible via hub airports.

“I know our airline partners who fly to Dubai, and our hotel suppliers there, have made every effort to ensure traveller wellbeing and are desperate to welcome their British customers back, as are all of the other tourist-related businesses on the ground – so it’s great news for them as well,” he said.

“This gives us the opportunity to do what we’ve been denied for too long, which is to sell holidays – not just to the UAE itself, but also those onward destinations which can be connected to through Dubai, and which are also amber or green.

“We’ll now prepare for what we anticipate will be substantial growth in demand for late-notice departures from next week for those who meet the requirements to travel.”

Clive Wratten, chief executive of the Business Travel Association, said the opening of routes to the Middle East had “particular significance” for business travel.

“It will take some time for business travel to return at scale, but this enables our sector to contribute to UK GDP and the international trading reputation of our country once more,” he said.

“The government has taken the right and strong decisions in abandoning plans for watchlists and removing France’s unique amber-plus status. These were potentially calamitous moves which would have jeopardised the future of the whole travel and aviation supply chains.”

Virginia Messina, WTTC senior vice-president and acting chief executive, hailed the end of the “confusing and disruptive amber plus list” but said the requirement for expensive PCR tests will still deter many from travelling.

She added: “We are disappointed that more destinations were not added to the green list. But the additions of India, Bahrain, Qatar, and in particular the UAE – a major winter sun destination – will provide a massive boost to travel and tourism businesses over the coming months.

“Once again, we call on the US government to open its borders to fully vaccinated UK visitors, a move that would have a massive economic benefit both here in the UK and across the Atlantic.”