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Backlash against 'lunatic' cruise ban as other holiday restrictions ease

cruise - getty
cruise - getty

As most Britons are today finally free to take their much-longed-for summer holidays without facing a 14-day quarantine upon their return, the cruise industry remains paralysed.

The UK Government has updated its guidance for cruise ships, advising all British people to avoid travelling on them. Minister Caroline Dinenage indicated this would stay in place "probably until October", and a government rep told The Telegraph today it was to avoid the risk of repatriations.

"In a week when we’ve – quite rightly – seen financial help for the struggling hospitality sector, the cruise industry, worth £10 billion a year to the UK economy and responsible for almost 90,000 jobs, gets a sharp boot in the teeth," argues Telegraph Travel's cruise expert Jane Archer, dismissing the stance as a "lunatic" ban.

Meanwhile, mandatory self-isolation has been dropped for arrivals into England, Wales and Northern Ireland from a list of 75 countries, including Spain, France and Italy. Scotland similarly eased restrictions but has notably left Spain off its quarantine exemption list, to the ire of many, thanks to its "significantly higher prevalence" Covid-19 infections.

What will this new normal look like? Muzzled. The chief executive of the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), said face masks should be mandatory for all forms of travel and in any indoor spaces.

Follow all the latest updates below.


04:17 PM

What we learnt today

It's been a big day for travel. Here are the key stories:

  • Quarantine rules dropped for arrivals from 75 countries to most of the UK
  • No cruises until October to avoid another repatriation
  • WTTC global tourism chief called for face masks to be compulsory 
  • Wizz Air says refund-dodging accusations are 'nonsense' 
  • Venice tested its flood barrier system for the first time
  • Nicola Sturgeon raised prospect of cross-border travel restrictions with England

04:05 PM

Barbados to welcome UK holidaymakers but visitors must prove they are virus-free

Barbados is about to tentatively reopen to tourism, the lifeblood of the country's economy. 

The first commercial flight, from Canada, arrives this Sunday, July 12, with the first flight from the UK, with British Airways, landing next Saturday, July 18

Barbados is one of the countries on the UK Government's "travel corridor" list – so no requirement to self-isolate on your return – and the Foreign Office is not advising against travel there. The Caribbean island, with a population of around 286,000, has to date had just 98 cases and seven deaths related to Covid-19.

To have a holiday there, travellers will need proof they are Covid-19 free. Visitors are being strongly advised to take a Covid-19 PCR test before flying, with testing required to have been done within 72 hours of travel. 

Fred Mawer has more.

barbados - getty

03:57 PM

More quibbles regarding the new passport

The new British passport is blue. Or is it? There have been complaints trickling in as the enter circulation that their hue is more black. 

Also, they're apparently quite bendy...


03:23 PM

Leap in demand for travel insurance

Since the announcement last week that quarantine measures would be eased, comparison site comparethemarket.com has seen a surge in searches for holiday insurance.

Patrick Ikhena, head of travel at the company said: “Many in the UK are ready and waiting to go on holiday. Our data shows a 228% rise in travel insurance sales compared to just one week ago. For travel insurance specifically outside the UK, we saw a jump of 251% week on week.

"Even though many providers have stated that they are unlikely to cover for COVID-19 related claims, including cancellation, it is still possible – and important – to find policies offering comprehensive cover for more common holiday upheavals."

Scroll down for Oliver Smith's guide on how to find the insurers who will cover you even against FCO advice.


03:14 PM

Greece to ask for negative Covid-19 test at its border

Visitors travelling through the Greek land border with Bulgaria, must prove that they have tested negative for coronavirus.

The Covid-19 test must be conducted within 72 hours prior the visit and the restriction will come into effect on July 14, at 0300 GMT, government spokesman Stelios Petsas said. 


03:01 PM

Venice tests its flood barrier system for the first time

Venice tested its long-delayed flood barriers in a public demonstration today.

Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte started the computerised MOSE system that sent all 78 giant yellow sluice gates at the openings between the lagoon and the sea rising simultaneously above the water for the first time.

venice - Anadolu Agency

For decades, this has been Venice's proposed solution to repeated floodings. Last November, the second highest tide since records began in 1923 washed into homes, shops, hotel lobbies and historic squares. 

A barrier scheme was first mooted in 1984, approved in 2003 and meant, originally, to be operative in 2011. Deadlines have come and gone, the budget has soared from €1.3 billion to almost €5.5 billion and the finishing date has been put back until 2021 or 2022. 

venice - shutterstock

“We are here for a test, not a parade,” Conte said today. He acknowledged the “disgraceful” corruption that had dogged the project, but said it was now time for everyone to look forwards.

“We all have to hope that it works,” he said.


02:36 PM

How to get travel insurance should you choose to ignore Foreign Office advice

Contrary to popular belief, you can visit a country to which the Foreign Office (FCO) advises against travel without invalidating your insurance – you just need to contact one of the few providers willing to offer cover. What’s more, it shouldn’t cost much more than an ordinary policy. 

The FCO has lifted its blanket travel, giving the green light for holidays to most of Europe and a few long-haul countries. But that still leaves the majority of the planet off-limits. 

Do you have questions about how to get cover? Oliver Smith has answers.


02:22 PM

The non-camper's guide to camping

If you’re keen to try camping this summer, don’t hang about.

“Campsite booking engines have all reported an absolutely massive surge in bookings over the past couple of weeks,” says Shell Robshaw-Bryan, editor and founder of the travel and outdoors blog Camping With Style. “A lot of campsites are fully booked now, so if people can manage a stay midweek or dates outside school holidays, that will increase their chances of actually getting a pitch.” 

Our new guide has everything you need to know, from essential kit to the new rules.

camping - Shaiith

02:03 PM

Italy's al fresco restaurant culture can teach us a lot about how to dine outdoors

It's not simply the airy seating, it's the gioia di vivere that makes Italy's outdoor dining scene so enviable, writes Tuscan-born Giancarlo Caldesi and his wife Katie, who own London's Caldesi in Marylebone:

The pandemic has forced so many people to stop and reflect on their lives pre-Covid, and here we have the chance to change our attitude towards eating out. 

Every place has its own way of enhancing outside life, and that’s what has made eating out in Italy so exciting and varied. It’s always simple; honeydew melon with wonderful cured ham; watermelon with pecorino and honey. Simple, delicious, and relaxed. It’s a weather-driven feeling of gioia di vivere, spurred on by delicious food and drink.

In a post-Covid world, perhaps more space outside will suit the UK dining scene – but first, everyone must learn to relax and enjoy watching the world go by, preferably with a coffee and a plate of something sweet.

Read the full story here.


01:55 PM

Jersey welcomes back visitors

Jersey, the largest Channel Island, has reopened its borders to visitors. 

The Visit Jersey website has seen more than a 40 per cent month-on month increase in traffic as British holidaymakers seek seclusion closer to home.

Chief Executive Keith Beecham states:

"After more than three months, we’re delighted to welcome visitors once again. As part of the British Isles, our Government has implemented a visitor process that is both safe for everyone while also optimising the traveller experience. Now more than ever, we believe that visitors will value our pristine beaches, uninterrupted coastal paths, unique hospitality and big spirit."

All arriving visitors are required to complete a pre-departure registration form and will be tested on arrival.

jersey - getty

01:49 PM

UK indoor ski slopes to reopen

Keen skiers and snowboarders in England are set to get their first taste of the slopes post-lockdown as the UK’s indoor real-snow ski slopes prepare to reopen.

The news follows yesterday’s announcement that indoor gyms and swimming pools are permitted to reopen from July 25. While some of the UK’s open-air dry ski slopes have already been able to reopen, indoor centres have remained dormant.

"We are delighted to announce The Snow Centre will reopen at 10am on Thursday July 30,"  said Ian Brown, managing director at The Snow Centre in Hemel Hempstead, the closest real-snow slope to London.  "The team been busy during lockdown working hard on innovating many activities and procedures in readiness for the return of our guests.

"We will initially be offering lift passes, lessons for those in the same household or bubble, private lessons and family ringo slide sessions." The reopening will likely provide some light relief for the thousands of British skiers and snowboarders who saw their ski holidays cancelled last winter.

However it’s northern counterpart, Chill FactorE in Manchester, is still reviewing the new guidelines with hope it will be able to announce a reopening date soon, likely in August.


01:46 PM

20 perfect holidays for our post-lockdown world

Finally, we can hit the road again. Exciting though that is, for the foreseeable future, it will of course be a radically different, unfamiliar world of masks and visors, caution and social distancing, says Nick Trend.

Any unfamiliarity will be tempered both by the release and relief of being able to travel again, but also by the lack of crowds and by the sense that we are witnessing a moment in history. It will surely be extraordinary and memorable to see the world as it slowly emerges from lockdown.

Here is our travellers’ guide to the rest of the year, whether you are looking for a family holiday in the Med, a city break or cultural tour.

tuscany

01:40 PM

Comment: Loss of Eurostar service is the worst thing that could happen to ski holidays

Eurostar has cancelled its service to the Alps this winter, and stated that it wants to focus on “high demand” routes – Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam – blaming the challenging conditions and new rules enforced on them due to the Covid pandemic. Daniel Elkan, founder of Snowcarbon.co.uk, writes for Telegraph Travel:

This is a massive blow to the thousands of loyal ski train fans who have come to realise that a journey by rail knocks the socks off flying or driving to the slopes. I’m one of them. 

Skiers and snowboarders are gutted by the cancellation. Ski resort tourist offices are baffled.  The influx of 24,000 skiers in a smooth, sustainable manner, has been wiped out by a decision made by Eurostar head office after consulting, well it seems, precisely nobody in the ski industry. 

Nothing will compensate for the loss of the ski train and we must fight to save it – there is still time for Eurostar to change its mind before the snow starts falling. 

Read his full comment here.

eurostar - A/GARETH FULLER

01:18 PM

Norway to lift Covid-19 travel restrictions

Norway will lift travel restrictions to and from more than 20 European countries from July 15,  the government announced today.

Citizens and foreign residents of Denmark, Iceland and Finland have been allowed to enter Norway since June 15, however starting from next week countries including  France, Germany and Britain will be able to travel to the country. 

Spain, Greece and the Netherlands were also among those added to the list of approved nations on Friday, which will be reviewed at least every 14 days based on data such as infection rates and hospital admissions in each country.


01:02 PM

Where can we cruise once travel restrictions are lifted?

The latest advice from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, updated on June 9, advises against all cruise ship travel, based on medical advice from Public Health England.

However, cruising is coming back step-by-step in Europe, with some river cruise lines already restarting operations. When Government advice changes, these are the first places where Britons could cruise: 

  • France
  • Germany
  • Austria
  • Greece
  • Croatia
  • Italy
  • French Polynesia

Read the full report. 


12:52 PM

Making face masks mandatory in public is bad for tourism, says Balearics lobby group

Strict rules on face masks could deter tourists when Spain badly needs their custom, the Balearic Island's business association said today.

The Balearic Islands and Catalonia require people to wear masks everywhere in public from Monday, even when social distancing can be maintained.

“We are against imposing more restrictive measures on tourists than the ones they have to abide by back home as it will dissuade them from choosing our islands,” the Balearics’ business lobby CAEB said.


12:42 PM

A postcard from Rio: Here in Brazil, the lockdown-breaking locals are rooting for herd immunity

The South American country has recorded 1.76 million cases of Covid-19 and 69,254 deaths, putting it second in the pandemic league table, and the erratic behavour of Jair Bolsonaro has attracted scorn both at home and abroad.

Yet many Rio residents fear the lockdown more than the virus, reports Charlotte Peet, who was warmly welcomed by restaurant staff during her first meal out in three months. 

My friend Andre, a Bolsonaro supporter, joins us for lunch and is soon jokingly mocking us for enduring 12 weeks of self-isolation. “There’s no scientific proof that isolation is effective,” he argues. “I believe in vertical isolation [quarantine only for high-risk groups], hygiene and coronavirus preventive measures, but health should always be associated with the economy.” 

My housemate, Aline, steps in: “The fact that Bolsonaro doesn’t believe that the virus is serious puts us in a dangerous situation, and just makes people angry.”

Read the full story.


12:26 PM

Air travel one step closer to normality

Airports across the UK are welcoming passengers on the first day since quarantine measures were eased. Here are some photos from London Heathrow:

heathrow - afp
heathrow - afp

12:21 PM

Elegant Resorts launches luxury staycations in UK and Ireland

With travel abroad still a dicey prospect, demand is rising in the UK for luxury staycation packages this summer and beyond, a survey by Elegant Resorts has found.

The tour operator, which specialises in high-end trips to far-flung destinations, has now unveiled a new range of home-based packages across the UK and Ireland.

They include stays at celebrated hotels up and down the land, including Gleneagles in Scotland, The Newt in Somerset and The Merrion in Dublin, as well as rail journeys with Belmond and exclusive access to cultural events and institutions, from the Trooping of the Colour to the gardens at Highgrove.

newt

Managing Director Lisa Fitzell commented: “We discovered that although the majority still had the desire to take a luxury holiday abroad by the end of the year, there was also an increasing demand to enjoy the beauty and culture a little closer to home.”


12:17 PM

Wizz Air says refund-dodging accusations are 'nonsense'

Wizz Air has dismissed critics of its decision to restart its UK flights in May at the peak of the pandemic as “naysayers”, Hugh Morris reports.

Owain Jones, the low-cost airline’s UK managing director, also said accusations that the carrier resumed services early to avoid paying out refunds for cancelled flights are “nonsense”. 

The airline was branded “hugely irresponsible” for launching services from London Luton while the UK was still under lockdown. Consumer group Which? said it was a “cynical cash grab” as Wizz would not need to pay out refunds to services that went ahead. 

“There will always be naysayers,” Jones told Telegraph Travel, adding that Wizz wanted to resume flights as soon as possible to help repatriate stranded foreigners and assist essential workers.


11:38 AM

Italy expected to extend state of emergency

Italy will likely extend its state of emergency beyond the current deadline of July 31 due to the coronavirus crisis, Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said on Friday.

"The possible extension simply means that we are in a position to continue taking the necessary measures" to face the epidemic, Conte said, speaking at a ceremony in Venice.

Italy first declared a six-month state of emergency at the end of January, after two Chinese tourists tested positive for the virus.


11:30 AM

Surge in demand for honeymoons

Honeymoons are back on the cards for thousands of couples who had to delay their celebrations amid the pandemic, with luxury travel company Kuoni reporting a strong upswing in enquiries since last weekend.

Weddings and civil partnerships of up to 30 people are now allowed to take place in England, alongside an easing of travel restrictions, and new booking enquiries over the past week were at their highest level since lockdown, Kuoni says.

According to its search data, these are the most popular honeymoon destinations for 2021:

Long-haul destinations

  1. The Maldives
  2. Sri Lanka
  3. Mauritius
  4. Kenya & Tanzania
  5. South Africa

Short-haul 'mini-moon' escapes

  1. Italy
  2. Greece
  3. Spain
maldives

11:20 AM

Australian ski resorts closed after just four days of opening

Two of Australia’s most popular ski resorts have closed until at least August 19 to help curb the new outbreak of coronavirus in the country.

Lifts stopped turning and skiers were barred from the slopes at Mount Hotham and Falls Creek, both in Victoria, yesterday, despite only opening for the first time on Monday.

“We did not make this decision lightly as we know our employees, guests and the communities where we operate have already endured so much hardship this year,” read a statement from Pete Brulisauer, senior vice president and chief operating officer of Vail Resorts Australia. Vail Resorts owns numerous resorts around the world, including Perisher in New South Wales, which remains open for snow sports.

“However, we are focused first and foremost on health and safety ... and doing our part to support efforts across Victoria to address the recent rise in coronavirus cases. We recognise this is incredibly disappointing to our guests and pass holders, including those who have made reservations at Hotham and Falls Creek this season,” read the statement released yesterday, as all lift pass, lessons and equipment hire bookings were canceled and customers refunded.

victoria - getty

11:14 AM

Comment: Why would anyone go on a city break in our dystopian post-pandemic world?

Hugh Morris used to love city breaks. But even with travel restrictions eased, he won't be planning one for some time:

"We have spent nearly half a year worrying about the movement of people, air flow and droplets. The world’s cities have eyed each other warily, suspicious of infection rates and lax lockdowns. We have never been more attuned to spatial awareness; to visit another city now would surely provoke an anxiety attack of peak pandemic proportions.

I struggle to see myself taking a city break for the foreseeable future. So long as Europe’s capitals are counting coronavirus cases like beans, ready with a finger on the lockdown button, I see no appeal in running the urban gauntlet, though “I got quarantined in Stockholm” does sound like a fun story. "

Read Hugh's full comment here.

Personally, I take the opposite view. I'm straight off to Venice tomorrow morning, eager to visit for the first time before the masses return. I'll let you know how it goes.

venice - getty

11:05 AM

Return to Malta: An empty island of baroque treasures awaits

Heavily reliant on tourism, the door to Malta could not remain closed forever, and on July 1 foreign visitors (initially from selected European countries, with others – including Britons – to follow on July 15) were welcomed for the first time since March. 

Among them was Eoghan Corry, whose visit to Mdina was "full of rediscovery and rebirth." He writes:

"The classic viewpoints were eerily empty, for February, never mind July. Mdina was devoid of crowds and the churches echoed when the doors closed. You could pick your viewpoint on De Redin Bastion, a place inaccessible on those days when five cruise ships are in town."

Read his full dispatch here.

mdina - efesenko

10:55 AM

No fines issued for breaching quarantine rules after arriving from abroad

Mandatory quarantine has now been dropped across Britain for arrivals from 75 countries, but was it ever really enforced? 

Not according to new police figures, which show that not a single person has been fined by police in England and Wales for breaching quarantine rules after arriving from abroad.

The 14-day self-isolation policy for UK arrivals, bar a handful of exemptions, was introduced on June 8, with breaches punishable of fines of between £100 and £1,000.

The figures from the National Police Chiefs' Council do not include fines given by Border Force, which has issued three penalties.


10:47 AM

Relief as spas given the green light to reopen

Beauty salons and spas will be able to open on Monday July 13 but will not be able to provide facial treatments under a series of new Government restrictions to prevent the spread of coronavirus, reports Harry Yorke.

They will be followed towards the end of the month by indoor gyms, leisure centres and pools, which will welcome back members on July 25 for the first time since they were ordered to close three months ago.

Abi Selby, Founder of Spabreaks.com states:

"Along with the wider spa industry, I am immensely relieved to hear spas will be able to open their doors from Monday to the many people that enjoy the physical and mental benefits of spa treatments.  

The industry has been struggling since the government announced closures in March, with 92 per cent of spas reporting a severe impact, and it has been frustrating to remain closed while similar professions have been allowed to restart.  

Spa venues and therapists have been hard at work enhancing existing hygiene and customer safety procedures with additional measures to offer full customer confidence."


10:31 AM

Deals: Flights to Milan for £18? Wizz Air launches flash sale

Budget operator Wizz Air has launched a 24-hour sale on selected routes, offering passengers 25 per cent off flights booked today for an unlimited travel period.

UK travellers can snag a bargain on flights from London Luton to Greek destinations including Athens, Corfu, Crete, Rhodes, Thessaloniki, Zakynthos, as well Larnaca in Cyprus, Tromso in Norway) and Reykjavik in Iceland.

Our spot check identified flights to  Corfu for £25 and Milan for £18, both at the end of August.

corfu - getty

10:09 AM

CMA warns package holiday companies to respect refund laws

The Competition & Markets Authority (CMA) has issued an open letter to more than 100 commonly complained about package holiday firms in the UK with guidance on how they should respond to refunds and cancellations amid the pandemic.

George Lusty, Senior Director of Consumer Protection said:

“Today’s warning to more than 100 package travel firms should act as a clear reminder that, even as lockdown eases, the CMA will work to protect consumers from unfair businesses practices. We’re already looking at package holidays as part of our investigation into companies’ cancellation policies, and we’ll continue to take direct action wherever we can.

“The CMA recently investigated and secured policy changes from major holiday accommodation providers, ensuring that they are now offering refunds for cancelled bookings – and it won’t hesitate to take action against non-compliant package travel firms. If companies want to avoid CMA action, then they must follow consumer protection law by offering refunds where they are due and refunding customers on time.”


09:49 AM

A slice of paradise off the coast of England

Penny Walker is in the Isles of Scilly reporting for Telegraph Travel as the tourism gets back up and running. And it looks gloriously quiet...


09:45 AM

Heathrow Airport CEO: 'We need to test people before they fly'

The CEO of Heathrow Airport has called for the UK Government to work alongside other countries to establish a common international standard for health in aviation. 

Speaking to Sky News this morning, John Holland-Kaye said: "We also need to think about how we are going to connect some of our really important trading partners, such as the United States which is high risk as a nation, but some parts of the country are lower risk."

"We need to look at testing before people fly to make sure that they don’t have the disease before they get on the plane and can therefore travel without any quarantine. This is something that we are calling on the government to bring in," he continued.


09:42 AM

Demands for clarity over the future of cruise

Key members of the travel industry have raised concern's over the FCO's continued advice against cruising, with one minister suggesting this would be the case "probably until October". 

Rory Boland, Editor of Which? Travel, said:

"The FCO's advice against cruise ship travel will lead to most upcoming cruises being cancelled or postponed. Most cruise holiday customers should be legally entitled to a cash refund within 14 days under the package travel regulations, but as we've seen across the travel industry recently, operators facing a surge in refund claims are often taking longer to return customers' money to them.

"If refunds will be delayed, cruise companies must urgently let customers know and give a clear timetable for when money will be returned. The FCO should also extend its warning to include a definitive date, to give operators and customers clarity over when it will be safe to rebook."  


09:22 AM

Record-breaking rises in US cases

More than 60,500 new infections were reported across the United States on Thursday, setting a one-day record as weary Americans were told to take new precautions and the pandemic becomes increasingly politicised.

The total represents a slight rise from Wednesday - when there were 60,000 new cases - and marks the largest one-day increase by any country since the pandemic emerged last year.

Infections have risen in 41 of the 50 states over the past two weeks.

Florida announced nearly 9,000 new cases and 120 deaths on Thursday, a record daily increase in lives lost. Despite this, Disney World plans to reopen there this weekend, and our reporters will be there to investigate.

California and Texas, the two most populous states, announced record increases in deaths on Wednesday.


09:16 AM

Australia restricts the number of citizens allowed to return to the country

Australia will halve the number of citizens allowed to return home from overseas each week, Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced today. 

Mr Morrison said that from Monday, Australia will limit the number of people allowed to 4,000 per week. 

He told reporters: "The decision that we took... was to ensure that we could put our focus on the resources needed to do the testing and tracing and not have to have resources diverted to other tasks."

The latest announcement follows concerns surrounding a spike in cases within the state of Victoria. 288 coronavirus cases were reported on Friday, a record daily increase for any part of the country since the pandemic began. 

queensland - shutterstock

09:09 AM

Exclusive interview: 'Holidays will be 90% normal,' says Tui chief

Tomorrow Tui will restart its summer operations, to eight destinations in Greece and Spain, from three UK airports, and ahead of this, Hugh Morris spoke to Andrew Flintham, managing director of Tui UK and Ireland about what to expect:

“Once you get to the hotel or the resorts, that’s when you get back to what the normal kind of holiday would look like,” he says. 

“You are going to see changes but I think the fundamentals of being on holiday will remain. Eighty to 90 per cent of those things you would normally be doing, you will still be able to do.

“If the resort or destination or hotel does not have the fundamental things that make it work, we will not take you to the hotel resort or destinations, because we want people to have a great time.”

Read the full exclusive interview here.


09:03 AM

Tourism chief calls for face masks to be compulsory

Gloria Guevara, chief executive of the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), which advises the G20, said the wearing of face masks should be the “new norm” on all forms of transport including planes, trains, buses and hire and chauffeured cars, reports Charles Hymas.

Masks should also be mandatory “when visiting any interior venue or those with restricted movement which results in close personal contact of two meters or less,” she said.  

This would include hotels (when in public spaces but not your own rooms), restaurants (when not eating), bars (when not drinking) and any other indoor public space.  

The WTTC said it was necessary to restore confidence in travel and revive tourism from the economic damage caused by the pandemic and until an effective vaccine was found.  


08:58 AM

Gatwick boss hopes for flights to take off as quarantine restrictions lift

Stewart Wingate, chief executive of Gatwick Airport, has hailed the relaxation of travel quarantine rules saying he hoped that people would now be persuaded to get back onto planes. 

"For our airport it makes a massive difference," he said. "The reason being, about 75 per cent of the destinations we serve are now quarantine free for passengers coming back into Gatwick.

"From a consumer point of view what we're hoping is that will persuade people to take advantage of the flights."

During the height of the coronavirus lockdown he said flights from Gatwick had dropped to as low as two or three a day.

gatwick - getty

More than 500 airport staff have taken part in a voluntary redundancy programme, while 80 per cent of workers remain furloughed.

Mr Wingate said there would be 50 flights at the airport today, with this rising to 100 by the end of the month and possibly to 300 or 400 per day later in the summer. In normal periods the airport handles 900 flights, he added.


08:52 AM

Mapped: The 23 countries you can actually visit right now

The Government has given the green light to overseas holidays. As of July 7, the FCO no longer advises against trips to 66 destinations, while 75 countries can now be visited by Britons without the need to self-isolate on their return.

Confusingly, however, some nations appear on one list, but not the other. Those coming back from Aruba, for example, will not need to quarantine. However, the FCO still advises against trips to the Caribbean island (making travel insurance hard to come by). Conversely, Canada is safe to visit, according to the FCO, but visitors are stillrequired to self-isolate when they return home. 

Furthermore, many countries included on both lists still have their own restrictions in place. New Zealand, for example, could remain closed to foreign tourists until next year, while Cyprus is blocking all UK arrivals.

Nevertheless, 23 places (22 in Europe and one beyond) appear on both lists, and are welcoming UK travellers. Here they are, along with the rules for every other country on the UK exemption lists.


08:37 AM

No cruises until October to avoid another repatriation

Britons will be "dissuaded" from going on cruises until October, because of fears the Government may have to repatriate people from around the world again, a minister has said. 

Caroline Dinenage told Sky News that although air corridors are today being opened with some countries, high risk countries and cruises were still off the menu "probably until October" in order to minimise risk.  

She said: "Just because of the situation when crisis hit when we had to repatriate people from all around the world, we want to be a little bit more secure with where we are as a country and as the world."

Some 19,000 British travellers were repatriated from cruise ships at the start of the crisis. 


08:31 AM

Sturgeon drops 'biggest hint yet' of cross-border travel restrictions

Nicola Sturgeon has confirmed the most significant return of freedoms in Scotland since lockdown began, but warned that reopening society would also bring “real dangers” as she again raised the prospect of imposing cross-border travel restrictions with England.

The day after she confirmed that quarantine restrictions for travellers from Spain and Serbia would be maintained in Scotland, even though they will end in the rest of the UK, she said that she remained concerned about the potential for an influx of Covid-19 cases from other countries, Daniel Sanderson reports.

Previously the First Minister has refused to rule out imposing quarantine restrictions on people travelling to Scotland from other parts of the UK but insisted she has “no plans” to do so. However, in a shift of emphasis, she warned that introducing new restrictions on people from outside Scotland, including with other parts of the UK, would be kept “under review”.

“It is essential that we keep this risk under close review. And, to be clear, this must cover the possibility of importation from other parts of the UK, as well as from overseas,” she said.


07:45 AM

What we learnt yesterday

A recap:

  • The FCO updated its guidance to advise all Britons against travelling on cruise ships
  • Some Spanish holiday hotspots have made face masks mandatory in all public places
  • Health experts have expressed doubts over the science used by the UK to justify Portugal’s air bridge snub
  • Wales agreed to the same quarantine exemptions as those applied in England
  • Government cuts to VAT for hospitality businesses are “not nearly enough”, said Abta

Read yesterday's blog here.