CLIA and the UK Chamber of Shipping have welcomed the news that the government intends to restart international cruise operations alongside the wider restart of international travel.

The Global Travel Taskforce report stated that the proposed restart will be in line with the traffic light system – which will categorise countries based on risk – and “subject to continued satisfactory evidence from [the] domestic restart as well as successful cruise operations elsewhere in the world”.

The government said it will confirm in early May whether international travel can resume from 17 May.

A number of cruise lines have announced plans for domestic cruises this summer, as the industry plots its return to service.

In a joint statement, CLIA and the UK Chamber of Shipping said: “We welcome today’s announcement to restart international cruises alongside the wider resumption of international travel, in line with the traffic light system.

“This announcement is the culmination of extensive collaboration between industry, government, health authorities and ports during the last 12 months to further strengthen health measures, which now go beyond any other travel sector.

“The industry’s protocols have already been tried and tested as almost 400,000 people have sailed on cruises since last summer elsewhere around the globe.

“Today’s decision sends a signal of confidence in the industry and is a welcome boost to the thousands of people employed in the sector or whose livelihoods depend upon cruise, including travel agencies, hotels, tour guides, port operators and many other service providers up and down the country.”