Brittany Ferries hits out at government 'denying Brits the holiday they deserve'

Brittany Ferries which operates passenger services from Portsmouth, says the sector is under threat as Brits are being denied the summer get-away they deserve.

ABTA, airlines, and others in the sector will stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the company on the travel industry day of action planned today.

A company spokesman for Brittany Ferries said: ‘Brits are being unfairly denied the summer get-away they deserve – and need.’

He added: ‘The peak summer holiday season is just around the corner.

‘Yet there is still no transparency in the application of the government’s traffic light system for international travel.’

The company said that the lack of clarity on the criteria by which a country may move from the amber list to green has created uncertainty amongst travel companies and customers.

Brittany Ferries carried 545,000 passengers during its peak summer season in 2019, and 242,000 in 2020.

This year, reservations stand at just 173,000 passengers.

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The spokesperson added: ‘Variants of concern are cited by government as the reason for keeping countries like Spain on the amber list. But this reasoning is far too vague and is unreasonably risk-averse.

‘Effectively it could mean the indefinite application of self-isolation measures for those returning to the UK.

‘Government must open the door to destinations where vaccination rates are high and Covid incidence is low. France and Spain must be moved immediately to the green list.

‘At the very least, government should clarify its position on double-vaccinations.

‘The requirement for self-isolation must be discontinued for any fully-jabbed passenger returning to the UK from an amber list country.’

It comes after Brittany Ferries mooted the possibility of running a route to Portugal.

The firm suggested it could run from Plymouth or Portsmouth, but after discussions axed the plan.

The company already runs services to France and Spain from Portsmouth – but these have been temporarily shelved due to the travel restrictions.

The ferry firm has also unveiled ambitious plans for a flying-fish type service in years to come – allowing services between the city and France in 40 minutes.

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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