Scottish tourism businesses lead outcry over 'catastrophic' plans to quarantine English visitors

Concerns have been raised by Scotland’s tourism industry after a key government advisor suggested the country should explore a quarantine period for visitors from England.

On Sunday, Professor Devi Sridhar said that Scotland could follow in New Zealand’s footsteps and move towards elimination of the virus by the end of summer, after reporting no new deaths for four days in a row. However, she highlighted the challenges the country faces from imported cases, which are exacerbated due to sharing a land border.

She urged “catching those cases through screening, through quarantine, through testing” and cited the checks US states with low Covid-19 transmission have introduced for people from those with high rates.

On Monday, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon stated that while there are currently no plans to introduce the standard 14-day quarantine rule for English travellers: “I’m not ruling anything out, if it’s required from a public health perspective”.

The potential for this measure, which would essentially stop Scottish holidays for English travellers, has been greeted with dismay by some tourism businesses who are preparing to reopen and rely on guests from England.

A spokesperson for Glenapp Castle, a grand hotel in Ayrshire, said: “We appreciate that keeping the transmission of the virus as low as possible is a priority that we all need to support. However, this measure would be catastrophic to the Scottish hospitality industry, which is now almost wholly reliant on the domestic market.”

Tourism in Scotland is responsible for around 200,000 jobs and brings in around £4 billion each year. Although holiday letting companies will be allowed to operate from July 3 and other hospitality businesses from July 15, the industry has already suffered seismic losses.

Even when tourism tentatively restarts, the country will certainly be without holidaymakers from the United States, which account for the largest proportion of its overseas visitors at 14 per cent, according to VisitScotland. Nicola Sturgeon has also been sceptical of potential air bridges, criticising Downing Street for not consulting the devolved powers over the plans. In this respect, tourism from within the UK has never been more important.

Instead of blanket quarantine measures, Scottish tourism chiefs are backing increased safety measures and modified ways of operating to keep virus numbers low.

Gordon Morrison, CEO of the Association of Scottish Visitor Attractions, told the Telegraph that he does not support the introduction of a quarantine for English visitors.

He said: “We are working closely with the Scottish Government and local communities to reassure the public that visitor attractions will be opening with all the necessary safety protocols in place to ensure that the virus will not be spread at our sites.”

Morrison highlights initiatives such as the We’re Good to Go scheme, essentially a badge which demonstrates that “an attraction has put necessary measures in place to limit the possibility of transmission, while also providing a warm and friendly welcome to all, be they from Scotland, England or indeed anywhere else in the world.”

Glenapp Castle is also focusing on hygiene measures to stop virus transmission and increase guest confidence.

“A few of the measures involved in this carefully thought out policy include hygiene packs being available in all bedrooms (hand sanitiser, masks, temperature strips, sanitising wipes) and staff having their temperature taken upon arrival on every shift,” it said.

It also supports a more targeted plan than a blanket quarantine, stating: “We believe the best approach would be to further promote the Track and Trace system, as it should be very effective if everyone followed it.”

A potential quarantine period is not the only barrier to holidays in Scotland this year. Others in the tourism industry are more concerned with the limits on transport, which will prevent trips to its picturesque isles. Robert McKinnon from Outer Hebrides Tourism said: “If capacity is not increased, visitors from Scotland, England or any other place are going to struggle to get to the Outer Hebrides”.

Scotland isn’t the only country mulling over a ban or quarantine on visitors from England, due to its relatively high number of virus cases. On Monday, Greece announced that flights would remain suspended to the UK until at least July 15, despite allowing visitors from elsewhere.

Are you in favour of a quarantine period for English visitors in Scotland? Or are you concerned about the impact it would have on the tourism and hospitality industries? Tell us in the comments section below.