Change to travel rules means Canary Islands holidaymakers must self-isolate on return home
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Highlanders arriving home from the Canary Islands this weekend must self-isolate for 10 days following a change to travel rules.
The move means that many will have to self-isolate right up to Christmas and employees may have to negotiate with their place of work upon their return to Scotland.
The quarantine rules coming into effect at 4am on Saturday will also have an impact for holidaymakers with future bookings, as the Foreign Office has yet to change its travel advice for the islands.
That means many holidaymakers may be unable to seek refunds or claim on their travel insurance policies if they want to cancel.
If there has been no warning issued in relation to a country that the consumer chooses to travel to, and the consumer chooses to cancel their plans, then there is no automatic right to compensation.
If, however, a travel agency cancels a holiday then a full refund is due.
Information on travel for those affected by Covid–19 restrictions is available at Advice Direct Scotland’s dedicated coronavirus website, coronavirusadvice.scot.
Colin Mathieson, spokesperson for Advice Direct Scotland, said: “The Scottish Government advice is clear that people should think very hard about any non-essential foreign travel.
“However, there are still flights to and from the Canaries, so the new guidance will disrupt plans for those Scots returning from the islands and those with future bookings.
“While this will throw Christmas plans into jeopardy, the most important thing is to adhere to the new rules on self-isolation – and there are fines for those who do not comply.
“Anyone who cannot return to work as a result of self-isolating should discuss this with their employer in the first instance.
“Options include working from home or requesting additional holidays or unpaid leave from your employer, but if your employer does not agree to this, you are still not allowed to return to work.”
Mr Mathieson added: “In terms of those with future holiday plans, there is no automatic entitlement to a refund if the travel company does not cancel it.
“Passengers should initially contact their travel provider to establish what options are available.
“Customers can try and claim back the costs through their travel insurance, but different policies vary on what is considered to be a valid reason for missing a flight.”
