Most popular European destinations for the British should be considered safe and should be included in the "green" travel list of London as soon as possible, according to travel industry in the United Kingdom.
Countries such as Cyprus, Greece, Spain and France have been placed in the "orange" risk category, which means that there is an obligation of ten days of isolation at home for arrivals in the UK.
Tourism operators, however, cite data from the NHS National Health System's screening and tracking program that seem to confirm that arrivals from Europe do not pose a significant threat to public health in Britain.
According to these data, between March 26 and April 22, less than three of the 591 travelers from Cyprus tested positive for the coronavirus, an infinitesimal percentage.
The corresponding percentages for arrivals from Portugal, which is on the green list, were 0,6% and for the "orange" Greece 0,8%, Spain 0,7%, France 0,8% and Italy 0,4%. The corresponding positive rates for arrivals from Malta and Croatia were even lower.
EasyJet CEO Johan Ludgren commented that the British government's decision to include only 12 countries and territories in the green list for the resumption of international leisure travel on May 17 is not justified.
He added that, in addition to the evidence that case transmission from Europe is very limited, the progress of vaccinations should mean more freedom for British travelers.
Greek Tourism Minister Haris Theocharis, who has been meeting in London since yesterday with British politicians and tourism officials, said that Greece is "at a very good level" regarding the pandemic and that things are improving every week.
He noted that the British government could have taken a different approach to the Greek islands with higher rates of vaccination of the population.