Foreign Office warns against travel to Dubai

Friday, 12 Jan, 2021 0

The United Arab Emirates, including Dubai, have been removed from the UK list of travel corridors following a sharp increase in coronavirus cases.

Anyone arriving from the UAE must now self-isolate for up to 10 days, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps announced yesterday.

Crucially, the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) has also updated its advice to warn against all non-essential travel to the UAE.

This should mean that tour operators will cancel and refund packages to Dubai.

Although lockdown restrictions ban overseas holidays, travel agents say some clients are continuing to travel on pre-booked holidays to some destinations, including Dubai, because tour operators have been refusing to refund if flights go ahead.

The change in FCDO advice should make it easier for agents to persuade clients to cancel or defer their holidays.

Scotland introduced a mandatory quarantine for arrivals from Dubai yesterday after seeing a rise in the number of cases in people returning from the emirates. One of those who tested positive was an unamed Celtic footballer who had attended a training camp in Dubai

The Department for Transport said the removal of the whole of the UAE from the travel corridor is being adopted by all four UK nations.

The Scottish government is also asking anyone who has arrived from the UAE since 3 January to voluntarily self-isolate for 10 days from the day they returned.

By Linsey McNeill, Editor (UK)

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Linsey McNeill

Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk

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