Bailiwick Blueprint dates ‘realistic’
THE travel industry wants borders to open up as quickly as possible, but understands that the States needs to ensure that as many people are protected as possible.
That was the message from the director of World Travel, Jamie Blondel, who said it has been a very long and tough road for the industry, coming up to 18 months of disrupted travel plans.
‘The Bailiwick Blueprint and the proposed date of 1 July [for quarantine-free travel] gives people a date to aim for,’ he said.
‘I think this also give travel carriers to and from the island a chance to get ready for more people to travel.’
Believing the dates outlined in the blueprint were realistic, he recognised that the States have a duty to try and keep everyone on the island safe, and as Covid-free as possible.
‘When the borders start to open we all know that there is more chance of Covid coming back into the island. If a high proportion of islanders have had the vaccine, then the risk level should be lower.
‘Some people will always want the borders to stay closed longer, and some will want them open as soon as possible, so it’s [important to get] the right balance.’
From a business point of view, he said obviously companies want travel to start up as soon as possible, but were realistic about the decision the States had to make.
Talking about how far in advance people were looking to book, he said: ‘The majority of the general public are still very cautious about booking a holiday for travel this year, which I have to say is understandable.
‘We are starting to see enquiries for later this year and for 2022, which is encouraging.’
He imagined that when flights and holidays do resume, there will be certain countries that people could or could not travel to, depending on the Covid level in that place or if travellers have had the vaccine.
‘There will be a lot to consider when booking a new holiday,’ he added.
