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(Adds health minister comments)
By Sarah Young
LONDON, March 20 (Reuters) - Holidays abroad are "extremely
unlikely" for most Britons this summer due to the risk of
importing new variants of COVID-19, a scientist who advises the
government said on Saturday, leaving airlines and travel
companies bracing for a second lost peak season.
Britain has banned travel for most people during the current
lockdown and has said overseas holidays will not be allowed
until May 17 at the earliest.
But Mike Tildesley, a scientist on a government advisory
body, said the risk of importing vaccine-resistant variants back
into the UK would likely scupper the nation's annual getaway.
"I think international travel this summer is, for the
average holidaymaker, sadly I think, extremely unlikely,"
Tildesley, a professor of infectious disease modelling at the
University of Warwick, told BBC Radio on Saturday.
There are growing concerns about a new wave of infections
across Europe, with rising cases in countries like Germany,
France and Italy potentially deterring the UK from re-opening
travel routes in May.
Asked about international travel, health minister Matt
Hancock said on Saturday that the government would say more on
April 12, when it is due to present the details of how and when
travel can take place.
"We'll look at the rates both here and abroad and the impact
of new variants to understand whether its safe to make that
move," he told Sky News.
Any ban on travel beyond May 17 would be a further blow for
the aviation industry's recovery prospects.
Airlines and holiday companies such as British Airways (part
of International Consolidated Airlines), easyJet
and TUI are desperate for travel to resume
after a year of COVID-19 restrictions.
Tildesley is a member of the Scientific Pandemic Influenza
Modelling group which reports into the government's Scientific
Advisory Group for Emergencies.
"We are running a real risk if we do start to have lots of
people going overseas...because of the potential for bringing
more of these new variants back into the country," Tildesley
said.
(Reporting by Sarah Young
Editing by David Holmes and Christina Fincher)
