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* Summer holiday abroad? Too early to say, Johnson says
* UK to have traffic light system for travel
* International travel will not start before May 17
* England's economy to start to reopen from April 12
* Johnson to raise a pint on April 12
(Adds quotes and Heathrow disappointment)
By Kate Holton, Alistair Smout and Elizabeth Piper
LONDON, April 5 (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Boris
Johnson said on Monday it was too soon to say whether
international summer holidays can go ahead this year, a remark
suggesting a planned reopening of outbound travel could be
pushed back beyond May 17.
Britons are among Europe's highest spending tourists so the
fortunes of the continent's summer season and the travel
industry, hit hard by restrictions imposed on travel because of
the COVID-19 pandemic, will depend on when tourists can return
to the beaches, cafes and tavernas of southern Europe.
Asked about summer holidays, Johnson told reporters he did
not want the virus to be reimported into the United Kingdom from
other countries so it was not possible to give more clarity as
the global situation was evolving so fast.
"Obviously we are hopeful that we can get going from May
17th, but I do not wish to give hostages to fortune or to
underestimate the difficulties that we are seeing in some of the
destination countries that people might want to go to," he said.
"I wish I could give you more on that, I know that people
watching will want to know exactly what they can do from May 17,
but we're not there yet," Johnson said. "As soon as we have more
solid information, more solid data, we'll let you know."
A British government review of travel said that it was not
yet clear if tourists would have to wait beyond May 17 for the
outbound restrictions to be lifted.
The lack of clarity from Johnson disappointed Britain's
biggest airport and travel companies which said the sector was
teetering on the brink of collapse.
"It's disappointing that the opportunity has been missed to
provide more certainty to reunite families separated by travel
restrictions, to give sunseekers the confidence to book ahead
for their summer getaway," Heathrow CEO John Holland-Kaye said.
"A clearer timeline for the return to international travel
is needed," Holland-Kaye said.
Noel Josephides, chairman of travel group Sunvil, told
Reuters before Johnson spoke that the industry would need weeks
of notice to reopen hotels and resume flight routes.
"It is not possible to launch a tour operation with one or
two weeks' notice," he said.
Britain plans to use a traffic-light risk system for
countries once non-essential international travel resumes, but
the government said it was too early to say which countries
could be given the green light that would only require
coronavirus tests before and after travel.
VACCINE PASSPORTS
Countries that could fit on the green list include Portugal,
Malta, Israel, the United Arab Emirates and the United States.
Countries on the amber list would require self-isolation.
Those on the red list would require quarantine.
Airlines such as easyJet, Ryanair and
British Airways, plus holiday groups such as TUI
, hope to avoid a second lost summer but COVID-19
cases have risen in continental Europe.
Johnson said a planned reopening of the economy could take
place next week, with the opening of all shops, gyms,
hairdressers and outdoor hospitality areas in England.
With the vaccine rolling out rapidly across Britain and
infection numbers falling, Johnson said England could proceed to
Stage 2 of his roadmap out of lockdown from April 12.
"I will be going to the pub myself - and cautiously but
irreversibly raising a pint of beer to my lips," Johnson said.
Johnson also confirmed that the government was looking at a
COVID-19 status certification system, or vaccine passport, to
help reopen larger events and to travel.
"You've got to be very careful in how you handle this and
... don't start a system that's discriminatory."
(Editing by Guy Faulconbridge and Timothy Heritage; Editing by
Aurora Ellis)
