Meanwhile, there are reports of holiday companies offering “bargains” for Christmas holidays to stimulate demand from consumers.
Elsewhere, business leaders have attacked prime minister Boris Johnson for implementing “lockdown by stealth” through new Covid-19 restrictions, with travel one of the sectors pleading for more financial support.
In the US, health authorities are advising against travel to more destinations due to Covid, and Virgin Atlantic has secured £400 million in new funding from its shareholders, including founder Sir Richard Branson.
Here are the key headlines travel woke up to on Tuesday (14 December).
Hotel quarantine could be scrapped this week
Speculation is growing that red list rules could be eased later this week with health secretary Sajid Javid hinting on Monday (13 December) that changes to travel restrictions could be imminent. Javid said current rules were “under review”, and with Omicron already spreading quickly in the UK there was “less reason to have any country on the red list”. (The Telegraph)
Travel concern over Omicron triggers Xmas holiday bargains
Holiday firms are offering “bargain” deals for Christmas breaks as sales “stall” due to concerns about the impact of the Omicron variant on festive holidays. Travel companies are reported to be knocking up to 50% off departures in the coming weeks, while Tui is offering a two-week break to Spain for just £25 per person per day. (The Independent/The Times)
Business accuses Johnson of bringing in ‘lockdown by stealth’
Prime minister Boris Johnson has been accused by business leaders of presiding over “lockdown by stealth” through measures brought in to try to stop the spread of Omicron. Johnson is now under pressure to bring in new support packages for the hardest hit sectors, including travel, hospitality and retail. (Financial Times)
Britain’s race to get boosted
People faced queues of up to five hours to get their booster jabs on Monday (13 December) as the government pledged to offer every adult in the UK a third dose of the vaccine by the end of the month. High demand for appointments also caused the NHS booking website for boosters to crash, while walk-in clinics were “swamped”. (The i)
US urges travellers to avoid Italy and Mauritius over Covid
The US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has advised against travel to Italy, Greenland and Mauritius, due to growing concerns about the spread of Covid-19. The CDC now includes 84 destinations in its Level 4: Very High classification, including nearly all of Europe. (Sky News)
Owners pump £400 million into Virgin Atlantic
UK airline Virgin Atlantic has raised £400 million in new funding from its two major shareholders, Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Group and US carrier Delta Air Lines, as the aviation sector faces new challenges due to the tightening of travel restrictions. (The Times)
