Harrogate travel agent warns of 'even more confusion' around quarantine restrictions
Ben Poole, owner of The Travel Journal, is calling for coronavirus testing at UK airports.
Last updated 4th Sep 2020
A Harrogate travel agent says the new quarantine restrictions will cause 'even more turmoil' for the industry.
Wales and Scotland are introducing two-week self-isolation periods for people returning from Portugal, but that won't apply in England or Northern Ireland.
Ben Poole, who owns The Travel Journal in the Montpellier Quarter, is calling for coronavirus testing at UK airports instead of forcing holidaymakers to quarantine on their return.
But this morning the Transport Secretary Grant Shapps effectively ruled that out for now, saying it wouldn't be a 'silver bullet solution'.
Ben says anyone planning to go away over the next few months should try and 'be as well informed as possible', and keep up to date with the latest rules and restrictions which may affect them.
But he believes now is actually a good time for a holiday, as many resorts and destinations are quieter than usual.
Ben Poole, from The Travel Journal in Harrogate, said:
"What the new quarantine restrictions will mean is a lot more confusion. There's going to be a lot of people in Scotland and Wales who will just simply cross the border into England and use alternative airports to go out to the destinations that have been restricted for themselves.
"I was under the impression that each country in the UK would follow suit with these new rules and regulations, but when you've got Wales, Scotland and England all doing their own thing, it's sending out so many mixed messages.
"We can't keep going 'which countries are going to be safe this week', and 'which countries are going to be put in quarantine on return next week'. Airport testing would give a lot more clarity, it will solve a lot of the problems. Various destinations are already doing this, for example Cyprus have been doing it all summer.
"Now is probably the best time to go away if you feel comfortable travelling in the current climate.
"I've just recently got back from Greece myself, it's great because when you're travelling to these destinations, they're quieter than they ever have been, it's making travel a lot more pleasant.