Hope of US-UK Travel Corridor Fades Amidst Delta Variant Concerns

Despite pressure from travel industry leaders from both US and the UK, a US-UK travel corridor is not going to happen by the end of July. In a report, US officials are concerned about the growing number of Delta variant cases in the UK. Also, there are questions regarding the effectiveness of the AstraZeneca vaccine against the variant. However, the decision to not have a US-UK travel corridor is mutual.

Premature Reopening

Earlier in June, US President Joe Biden and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson discussed the possibility of a US-UK travel corridor.

According to reports, officials in London initially planned to have an outline for the US-UK travel corridor by July 4. Both countries even had a working group that would “help relaunch UK-US travel as soon as possible” according to the British government spokesperson. The spokesperson also added that “discussions between the working group are ongoing to ensure the UK and US closely share thinking and expertise no international travel policy going forward”.

However, reopening both countries did not materialize as both countries opted to play safe. The US remained in UK’s medium-risk amber list. Virgin Atlantic CEO Shai Weiss even commented on this matter saying that it’s an “overly cautious approach fails to reap the benefits of the successful vaccination programs in both the UK and the US”.

As for the US, its approach for the UK and the rest of the EU countries hasn’t changed, despite EU countries welcoming US travelers. Earlier this month, US Secretary of State Anthony J Blinken said that reopening travel between the US and EU travelers would be “premature”.

EU Countries Impose Stricter Travel Restrictions on UK Travelers

It isn’t just the US that is being cautious against the spread of the delta variant. On Monday, Spain announced changes in their travel protocols for British tourists. Spain also announced that British tourists entering the country will need to show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID19 test. Spain initially allowed British tourists to freely enter the country for more than a month.

Portugal also tightened their travel protocols for travelers coming from the UK. British travelers who aren’t fully vaccinated will now have to quarantine for 14 days.