Know Before You Go: Information for Visitors Travelling to Great Britain in 2021 and Beyond
Updated Jul 2021
Following gradual reopening from May 2021, from July the British travel and tourism industry is now fully operational and almost all domestic Covid regulations have now been dropped. The UK is welcoming back overseas visitors to discover our unique heritage and natural landscapes. With traveler well-being and public health in mind, there are however some remaining recommendations and advice for overseas visitors to the UK. Below we outline the current situation and information so that you’re fully informed about what to expect before booking and taking your trip England, Scotland or Wales.
Hotels and Accommodation
Hotels and tourism accommodation providers are now fully re-opened but many will continue to take additional safety and hygiene measures. These generally include additional cleaning or sanitizing regimes, contactless payment options and some establishments may continue to ask clients or staff to wear a face covering. There may also be other changes such as staggered breakfast times and a change from buffet breakfasts to alternative options. Hotels can apply for the Visit Britain standard “We’re Good to Go” and “Safe Travels” marks which show they comply with official Covid related health and hygiene guidelines.
Visitor Attractions
All public and private visitor attractions across the UK including castles, historic sites, museums, country houses, zoos and theme parks are now fully open. Many will have introduced additional safety precautions over the last year and many will continue to operate these voluntarily for the remainder of 2021; such protocols might include hand-sanitizer stations and additional signage or one-way systems to facilitate visitor flow. Some visitor attractions may still recommend or require pre-booking and allocation of a specific visitor time-slot – please check the site’s official website or ask your adeo Travel consultant for further information or assistance on pre-bookings. These protocols are no longer mandated by law and are implemented at the discretion of the attraction management.
Hospitality and Restaurants
Hospitality venues such as pubs, cafes, bars and restaurants have now resumed operations and are once again offering normal dining and leisure experiences. A great development for us pub-loving Brits! Most hospitality businesses will continue to comply with the new industry standard and displaying their “Good to Go” logo at the entrance or at the till. Typical additional well-being measures taken up by many hospitality businesses over recent months will continue such as provision of hand-sanitizers, more frequent cleaning, extra ventilation or additional spacing between tables. Some establishments might still request staff such as face coverings where appropriate. Some pubs and restaurants have introduced the option to view menus and place orders via in-house apps and many will continue to offer this service; but don’t worry, staff will always be happy to help with any technical issues or questions or indeed, take the orders manually. It is still recommended that you pre-book a table at restaurants especially on weekends when tables are at a premium.
Social Distancing and Face Masks
All legal requirements on social distancing in both indoor and outdoor spaces have now ended across England, Scotland and Wales however people are generally still conscious and courteous of not crowding the personal space of others. Masks or face-coverings are no longer mandated in public spaces in England. Some establishments may still request that customers continue to wear face-coverings for service. In Wales and Scotland face-coverings will continue to be mandated by law in indoor public spaces such as in shops, healthcare settings and on public transport. They are not required in hospitality settings such as pubs and restaurants but the management may still request that customers or staff wear face coverings.
Public Transport
Public transport has now resumed to normal service although most are seeing lower passenger numbers than normal. Ther eis no longer a mandate to social distance so all seats and standing areas are now in operation on public transport. In England there is no longer a legal mandate to wear a face-covering on public transport but many operators are still requiring that travelers where them as a condition of carriage. It is mandatory to wear face coverings on public transport in Scotland and Wales. Customers are generally requested to wear a face covering when taking taxis or cabs at the discretion of the taxi company and/or driver.
“Good to Go” Trust Mark
The national leisure and tourist industries developed the “Good to Go” scheme in 2020 whereby participants could demonstrate that they are adhering to latest Government and public health guidance. Many will continue to display this mark for the remainder of 2021. All have carried out an initial COVID-19 risk assessment and checked that they have the required processes in place. Businesses displaying the mark online or in their premises have completed an online self-assessment confirming that they have put the necessary processes in place and will receive updates to latest changes to legislation and advice.
Arrival Testing and Quarantine Requirements
The UK government are currently operating a traffic-light system for overseas visitors to Britain. Green-listed nations such as Australia and New Zealand can visit the UK without quarantine. Canada is currently Amber-listed which requires arrivals to quarantine upon arrival. The USA is currently Amber-listed however fully vaccinated Americans are exempt from any quarantine requirement. All visitors, regardless of status, must present a negative Covid test result prior to travel and are asked to take a second test two days after arrival in the UK. Travel advice is frequently changing and it is expected that Canada will join the green-list in the near future. For full information and guidance on quarantine and testing requirements please ask your adeo Travel consultant.
Passenger Locator Form
Currently anyone arriving in the UK must complete a Passenger Locator Form to provide contact details and information regarding their stay and whereabouts in the UK for the duration of their trip. This is a simple form which must be completed online and done so within the 48 hours prior to travel. You will also be asked for information regarding your Covid test.
Your adeo Travel Britain travel consultant will be more than happy to answer any of your questions and queries relating to current travel protocols and making and booking any and all travel arrangements across England, Scotland and Wales.
Know Before You Go: Information for Visitors Travelling to Great Britain in 2020
Since reopening in July 2020, the British travel and tourism industry is now fully operational and we are welcoming back overseas visitors to discover our unique heritage and natural landscapes. With traveller well-being in mind, there are however some new recommendations, advice and requirements for overseas visitors to the UK. Below we outline the current situation and information so that you’re fully informed about what to expect before booking and taking your trip England, Scotland or Wales.
Hotels and Accommodation
Most hotels and accommodation providers are now fully re-opened but are taking additional safety and hygiene measures. These generally include additional cleaning or sanitizing regimes, social distancing in public spaces, contactless payment options and mask-wearing by staff. There may also be other changes such as staggered breakfast times and a change from buffet breakfasts to alternative options. Hotels can apply for the Visit Britain standard “We’re Good to Go” mark which shows they comply with official Covid related health and hygiene guidelines.
Visitor Attractions
Most public and private visitor attractions across the UK have now re-opened including castles, historic sites, museums, country houses, zoos and theme parks. Many will however have introduced additional safety precautions or protocols such as hand-sanitizer stations and additional signage or one-way systems to facilitate social distancing. Some visitor attractions may require pre-booking and allocation of a specific visitor time-slot – please check the site’s official website or ask your adeo Travel consultant for further information or assistance on pre-bookings.
Hospitality and Restaurants
Hospitality venues such as pubs, cafes, bars and restaurants have now resumed operations and are once again offering normal dining and leisure experiences. Most hospitality businesses will be complying with the new industry standard and displaying their “Good to Go” logo at the entrance or at the till. Typical additional well-being measures taken up by many hospitality businesses will include provision of extra sanitizers, more frequent cleaning, additional spacing or dividers between customer tables, additional outdoor seating and some extra precautions from staff such as face coverings where appropriate. Some pubs and restaurants have introduced the option to view menus and order via an in-house app but don’t worry, staff will always be happy to help with any technical issues or questions. It is recommended that you pre-book a table at restaurants as many will be operating under more limited capacity.
Social Distancing
People are still recommended to remain socially distant with people outside of their own family or social bubble wherever possible in public spaces. This is recommended at 2 metres (6feet) across the UK or 1 metre (3 feet) in England if you’re taking additional precautions such as wearing a face covering.
Public Transport
Public transport is now resumed to near normal capacity in most regions of the UK. It is mandatory to wear face coverings when travelling on public transport in England and is recommended but not enforced in Scotland and Wales. Customers should wear a face covering when taking taxis or cabs.
“Good to Go” Trust Mark
The national leisure and tourist industries have developed the “Good to Go” scheme. Participants can demonstrate that they are adhering to latest Government and public health guidance. All have carried out a COVID-19 risk assessment and checked that they have the required processes in place. Businesses displaying the mark online or in their premises have completed an online self-assessment confirming that they have put the necessary processes in place and will receive updates to latest changes to legislation and advice.
Quarantine Requirements
Visitors to Britain are currently requested by the UK Government to quarantine unless they are travelling from a list of exempt countries. There are currently around 70 countries on this exemption list or “travel corridor” and it will be expanded as levels of risk change or with the introduction of new protocols or measures such as introduction of arrival testing or vaccines. To check if you’re on our quarantine exemption list, click here:
Passenger Locator Form
Currently anyone arriving in the UK must complete a Passenger Locator Form to provide contact details and information regarding their stay and whereabouts in the UK for the duration of their trip. This is a simple form which must be completed online and done so within the 48 hours prior to travel.
Your adeo Travel Britain travel consultant will be more than happy to answer any of your questions and queries relating to current travel protocols and making and booking any and all travel arrangements across England, Scotland and Wales.