One of the most concerning aspects of the response to the omicron variant from a travel perspective is the sudden introduction of so many new and varied testing and quarantine requirements in different destinations all over the world. And they are still coming thick and fast. Overnight, Joe Biden tightened the rules so that all arrivals – whether vaccinated or not – must take a test within one day of their departure for the US. That reduces the time allowed for pre-departure testing from the current 72 hours for jabbed passengers.

Meanwhile, Ireland, France, Spain, Portugal, Switzerland and Canada have all introduced new testing, vaccination or quarantine requirements in the last few days. And in the UK, we have re-introduced the red list and tightened the rules so that all travellers returning from overseas must take a PCR test before the end of day two, then self-isolate until there is confirmation that the result is negative.

All these reactions are – to most of us – an understandable response to the uncertainty over the new variant and how lethal, transmissible and vaccine-resistant it is. But there is no doubt that they are a major blow to travellers’ confidence and thus a huge setback to the travel industry, which was just beginning to see a resurgence in bookings. Tens of thousands of holidays have already been cancelled and, surely, many more will follow.

The blow to confidence comes from two directions. First is the simple psychology of knowing that there are so many points at which your holiday hangs on the result of a test. Depending on your destination, it might be on the day of departure, or the moment of arrival, or it might even prevent you coming home as planned (though see Grant Shapps’ promise on this, below).

Second is the hugely different way that countries are approaching the problem. If testing policies were being imposed consistently around the world – perhaps as a universal requirement before flying for example – then it would at least be easier to understand and follow. But the wide variations in rules – many of which are being introduced at very short notice – make it incredibly hard to keep track of the relevant rules.

One of my colleagues has just cancelled a long-planned ski trip to Canada only a day before departure because she has been unable to establish from the authorities how she needed to comply with a new rule on testing for all arrivals. As part of the rule you have to quarantine until you get your results – which might be fine except that she is changing planes onto a domestic flight at Toronto and her accommodation, where she could have isolated as necessary, is booked in Quebec. She was unable to establish in time for her departure whether she needed to change her onward flight and book alternative accommodation in Toronto – though with no guarantee how long it would take to get the result of her test.

Variations in vaccination rules in different countries can also have devastating effects on some categories of traveller. For example, families with children aged 12-15 heading for a ski holiday in France in the February half term look likely to be caught out by new rules which will have expensive consequences. This means that from January 15, those who are unvaccinated or cannot prove a recent infection must test every 24 hours in order to access public spaces, including restaurants, hotels and cafes. French rules require children aged 12-15 to have two jabs (plus a booster seven months later) but this age group is only entitled to one jab in the UK. Tests cost about £15 each in France – so testing two children for a week adds over £200 to your holiday bill. 

There are no easy answers to these rapidly emerging issues. And as long as the pandemic endures, testing will have a place in monitoring and managing the risk of spreading the virus and its variants. Last autumn – before vaccination helped reduce risks – it was a particular positive, providing a route out of highly-restrictive quarantine arrangements for travellers returning to the UK.

And of course, it’s Covid, not testing, which is the heart of the problem. You might be caught out by catching coronavirus at some point when you are travelling or about to travel – and realising you have it because of the symptoms. Obviously too, if you are asymptomatic it is important to know so that you can avoid spreading it further. But there needs to be a sense of proportion. We don’t test everyone each time they get on a crowded tube or train, or when we go to the theatre, a restaurant or a pub.

So, if and when anxieties about omicron moderate, and let’s hope that will be the case over the next three or four weeks, it’s vital that the new stringency on travel-related testing is eased in proportion to the assessed risks – but as quickly as possible. January is a critical month for holiday bookings and if people aren’t confident enough to book then we may end up losing many of the companies we rely on for our future holidays.

The good news is that the Transport Secretary, Grant Shapps, seems to have realised how crucial this is becoming for beleaguered airlines, operators, agents and hoteliers. In an interview with The Telegraph yesterday he told our Chief Political Correspondent, Christopher Hope, that tourists and returning travellers will not be asked to take Covid tests before they travel to the UK because the Government does not want to “kill off the travel sector without knowing that you need to.” 

That’s a slightly odd way of putting it – let’s hope we are never in a position where anyone needs to “kill off the travel sector” – but at least there is some recognition of the importance of not undermining confidence for longer than necessary. The problem is that word “necessary” and how it is understood in different destinations around the world.