London businesses optimistic about tourism recovery after travel rule changes
Hospitality bosses in the capital have welcomed a change in international travel rules as London looks to restore its tourism economy.
Those fully vaccinated in the US or European Union no longer have to isolate on arrival in the UK from an amber list country, as of changes brought in this morning.
Travellers are still required to take either a lateral flow or PCR test before departing and a PCR test on the second day after arriving.
The return of US visitors in particular would benefit London while Britain’s tourism industry is worth £40bn to the economy, according to trade body UKHospitality (UKH).
“For the UK economy and hospitality sector to fully recover then the return of international travel is crucial,” UKH CEO Kate Nicholls said.
She added: “We saw at the very early stages of the pandemic, prior to lockdowns and restrictions, the significant economic impact the absence of international visitors was having on venues, particularly those in London.”
The boost to the capital’s economy “should not be underestimated,” Nicholls said.
London lost out on £7 billion of foreign tourist spending last year, according to statistics from the Mayor of London’s office.
A spokesperson for the Mayor of London said the Government should continue to “take a cautious approach” with coronavirus restrictions but that the change would see a “huge boost” to the capital.
“It’s not a secret that London has quite a way to go before it returns to normal,” steakhouse chain Hawksmoor co-founder Will Beckett said.
He added: “Irrespective of whether this leads to a significant boost to visitor numbers, it can only be a good thing for central London businesses.
“I think this is the key thing, slowly but surely the macro conditions will improve – office workers, visitors, theatre-goers etc. will return, and as they do more and more businesses will open at times they are currently closed, which in turn will attract more visitors to central London.”
Over 20 million international travellers visited London in 2019 while one in seven of London’s workforce is employed in tourism, according to the Centre for London.
“Today’s changes will give double jabbed travellers from the EU and US greater freedom and confidence to visit our nation’s capital and enjoy everything that the city has to offer, and will be a lifeline to many struggling businesses,” Centre for London research director Claire Harding said.
Bosses are calling on the Government to bring the date for fully vaccinated individuals to be exempt from self-isolation rules forward from 16 August to prevent staff shortages.
Fewer close contacts of Covid cases will be told to self-isolate after the Department of Health announced an update to the NHS Covid 19 app today (2 August).