The Telegraph
Staycation prices a third higher in holiday hotspots this year When can I go on holiday? What Med destinations will look like this summer The countries already rolling out vaccine passports Sign up to the Telegraph Travel newsletter Travel industry leaders have lashed out at new ‘exit permits’ required for leaving the country, claiming they are complex and lack clear messaging. The Declaration to Travel form, which comes into effect today, must be completed by anyone in England who enters “a port of departure to travel internationally”, with fines of up to £6,400 for those who flout the rules. But critics have highlighted a number of issues with the form, arguing that it appears ‘rushed’ and that several valid reasons for international travel are not covered. Paola Fiocchi Van den Brande, founder of Passepartout Homes, said: “I understand the move and what the Government is trying to achieve. It is a bit too little too late and such policies would have been accepted and tolerated a year ago. A year later, with a successful vaccination program under way and the promise of releasing restrictions, I question the move to introduce a Declaration to Travel, if not for political reasons before elections. “The document has been rushed through with not so much attention to detail or clear messaging. There is no box to justify you are leaving the country because you have residency elsewhere or are leaving the country for good. There is no box to state kids are visiting a parent working overseas (only those with divorced parents and a court order are allowed). There is no box to state you are reuniting with a spouse or legal partner working overseas.” Others, such as Abby Penston, CEO of Focus Travel Partnership, called the form a "half-cocked rushed out process", adding: "Today’s imposition of the Declaration for International Travel form has been deliberately designed to dampen demand in international travel." Scroll down for the latest travel updates.
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