Meanwhile, prime minister Liz Truss is to lobby European leaders for support to prevent the country being hit by potential power blackouts and rationing this winter.

Elsewhere, fears are growing of higher oil prices after the Opec cartel agreed to cut production by more than expected, while China’s strict zero-Covid regime is creating more disruption for tourists during the country’s most important holiday period.

Here are the headlines the travel industry woke up to on Thursday (6 October).

Hong Kong to lure tourists with free air tickets

Hong Kong is planning to give away 500,000 airline tickets, worth around £225 million, as it tries to boost its Covid-hit tourism industry. The free tickets will be distributed in 2023 by the city’s airport authority once allCovid-19 restrictions for inbound travellers have been lifted. The move came as Virgin Atlantic said it would no longer fly to Hong Kong due to issues linked to the war in Ukraine. (BBC News)

Plea for European help against blackouts

Prime minister Liz Truss is to urge European leaders to help “keep the lights on” this winter when she attends a meeting in Prague, as concerns rise that the UK could face energy rationing and blackouts during the coming months. (The Times)

Fears grow over oil price as Opec agrees to cut supply

The Opec oil cartel and its allies have agreed to a bigger than expected cut in oil production targets despite significant pressure from the US not to do so. The move is expected to put upward pressure on oil prices which increased to nearly $94 per barrel on Wednesday (5 October), its highest level since mid-September. (The Guardian)

Income taxes to rise by £21bn despite budget

Average households will be £1,450 worse off per year despite the tax cuts announced by chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng in his controversial mini-budget last month. This increase is due to so-called “stealth” taxes, according to analysis from the Institute of Fiscal Studies. (The Telegraph)

China’s zero-Covid grip upends ‘golden week’ for tourism

The Chinese government’s zero-Covid policy is causing major disruption to the country’s most important week for domestic tourism, known as “golden week”. Travellers in some areas have faced hotel quarantine and the mass cancellation of transport services. (Financial Times)