'I feel sorry for the tourist industry' - travellers dismayed over UK decision on Portugal

Record ID: 1619685

  • Title: 'I feel sorry for the tourist industry' - travellers dismayed over UK decision on Portugal
  • Date: 4th June 2021
  • Summary: LAGOS, PORTUGAL (JUNE 3, 2021) (REUTERS) TOURISTS AT DONA ANA BEACH TOURISTS WALKING DOWNSTAIRS TO DONA ANA BEACH
  • Embargoed: 18th June 2021 11:43
  • Keywords: Britain COVID-19 European holiday destination Portugal UK safe travel list travel vaccinations
  • Location: LAGOS, PORTUGAL / GATWICK, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM
  • City: LAGOS, PORTUGAL / GATWICK, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM
  • Country: United Kingdom
  • Topics: Europe,Health/Medicine
  • Reuters ID: LVA001EFZKVNR
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Travellers to Portugal on Friday (June 4) said the British government's decision to remove the tourist destination from its quarantine-free travel list was confusing and hasty.
    "I feel really sorry for the Portuguese tourist industry," said Mike Linney, who was travelling to Portugal from Gatwick airport, outside of London.
    "I know a couple of weeks ago they're just opening up, they're re-employing people, they're getting the hotels open, the shops open. Again, they're going to have to step backwards so it's very difficult for them," Linney said.
    Rita Adrego, a nurse from Porto, Portugal, said she was taking extra precautions and hoped "there could be a lenience for people that actually have to go home".
    "I haven't been home for two years now, so it would be nice to see the family,” she added.
    Britain tentatively relaunched travel on May 17 following more than four months of lockdown, using a traffic-light system where arrivals from green-listed countries do not have to quarantine. Arrivals from amber countries must quarantine at home, while red countries require expensive hotel quarantine.
    Over the last three weeks, Portugal proved a lifeline for the travel industry which had expected a wider reopening to follow. It now faces weeks of cancellations and uncertainty.
    Upon announcing the changes to the so-called green list on Thursday, transport minister Grant Shapps said the decision was based on concerns about coronavirus variants detected in Portugal and a rising number of cases.
    (Production: Natasa Bansagi)
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2021. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
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