UK Approves COVID-19 Vaccine: Travel Agents Back In Business As Many Indians Want To Fly To London

By OB Bureau On Dec 3, 2020

New Delhi: Ever since the news of the British government approving the COVID-19 vaccine came out, travel agents have been inundated with enquiries from Indians who want to travel to the UK despite being it offseason, as soon as possible to get the vaccine.

Cashing-in-on the opportunity, a travel agent is planning to launch a three-night package for the Indians who want to get the benefit of the mass vaccination drive in the UK that is likely to begin as early as next week, NDTV reported.

A Mumbai-based travel agent told the PTI that some people on Wednesday raised queries on “how and when and if” they can travel to the UK to get the COVID-19 vaccine.

“I have told them it is too early to say (whether Indians can get vaccine in UK). Anyway, the first in line to get the vaccine would be the elderly and health workers in the UK who are most vulnerable to the coronavirus,” the agent was quoted as saying.

Nishant Pitti, Co-founder and CEO, EaseMyTrip.com told PTI that his company was waiting for clarity from the UK government on whether there would be compulsory quarantine requirements for travellers who want to get vaccinated and whether Indian passport holders are eligible for vaccination there or not.

According to the latest rules in UK, from December 15, every international arrival in the country would have to remain in self-isolation for five days and then get the RT-PCR test done on the sixth day. The passenger can leave isolation on the sixth day if found COVID-negative in the test.

On Wednesday, a Bengaluru-based travel company said Indians are asking if a short trip, without quarantine, to the UK to get the Pfizer vaccine was possible, the report added.

Jyoti Mayal, president, Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI) told PTI that people are right now “waiting and watching” as they want to know what the vaccine is going to be like.

“Though the government has said there would be no side effects of the vaccine, people want to watch all this before getting the shot,” Mayal was quoted as saying.