Covid-19: NI Executive urged to rethink new travel rules

The Common Travel Area consists of the UK, Republic of Ireland, Channel Islands and Isle of Man

Tourism bodies have urged Stormont to rethink guidance on visitors arriving from the Common Travel Area (CTA).

People visiting friends and family in Northern Ireland from GB, Republic of Ireland, Channel Islands or Isle of Man will be exempt from a requirement to self-isolate from 24 May.

New guidance states those exempt from self-isolation must take Covid-19 tests before departure and on later dates.

The Northern Ireland Tourism Alliance described this as "unmanageable".

• What you need to know about NI's lockdown easing

• What are NI's Covid travel rules?

Previously, Stormont ministers had only advised that people could travel from Northern Ireland to the CTA for essential reasons.

On Thursday, the executive announced relaxations to this rule, but introduced certain requirements for travellers arriving into Northern Ireland.

The new guidance sets out that anyone exempt from self-isolation will be asked to take lateral flow tests for Covid-19 pre-departure, as well as on days two and eight post-arrival into Northern Ireland.

All other visitors will be required to self-isolate on arrival for 10 days.

'Complicated and confusing'

Both the Northern Ireland Tourism Alliance and the Travel Association (ABTA) have raised concerns over the new rules.

Northern Ireland Tourism Alliance chief executive Joanne Stuart said it "remained unclear how the controls would be managed and by whom".

She described the testing requirements as "complicated and confusing" and said they would have the potential to put off visitors from coming.

Previously, Stormont had only advised that people could travel from Northern Ireland to the CTA for "essential" reasons

"What people desperately want after months of uncertainty is confidence and clarity and this latest updated guidance does nothing to provide any of that," Ms Stuart said.

She added that it would also "shut down plans to promote Northern Ireland as a visitor destination" for travellers in Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland.

Chief executive of ABTA, Mark Tanzer, believes Northern Ireland should follow England, Scotland and Wales in publishing a green list of destinations where holidaymakers can return from without having to self-isolate.

Mr Tanzer said the executive must also "continue to provide financial support through to recovery".

Members of the Northern Ireland Tourism Alliance have requested urgent meetings with representatives from the Northern Ireland Executive Office, Department for the Economy and Department of Health to press for change.