Prime minister Boris Johnson is also seeking to further reduce the UK’s Covid-19 restrictions in the coming weeks with a new “living with Covid” plan under considering by the government.
Elsewhere, Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic is to be allowed to stay in Australia after winning his court case against deportation. Djokovic had initially been denied entry because he did not meet Australia’s strict Covid-19 rules.
Here are the main headlines that the travel industry woke up to on Monday (10 January)
‘Stampede’ to book holidays after testing rules relaxed
The travel industry has enjoyed a “surge” in enquiries and bookings over recent days, following the UK government’s abolition of pre-departure tests and the easing of Day 2 rules, which came into force on Sunday (9 January). Leading travel companies including easyJet, Jet2.com and Virgin Atlantic have reported rises of up to 400% in bookings. (The Daily Mail)
PM expected to announce ‘living with Covid’ plan by March
Prime minister Boris Johnson is understood to be working on a strategy to move away from Covid-19 restrictions, with new measures set to include the winding down of the current testing regime, scrapping free lateral flow tests and reducing isolation periods. The strategy is likely to be unveiled in the next few weeks. (The i)
Djokovic wins court battle to stay in Australia
Tennis star Novak Djokovic has won a court battle in Australia challenging the decision to cancel his visa to play in this month’s Australian Open tennis tournament. Djokovic had faced being deported from the country because he did not meet Australia’s Covid entry rules, but a judge decided that border officials’ decision to cancel his visa had been “unreasonable”. (BBC News)
Thailand’s tourism hotspots to reopen to fully vaccinated tourists
Some of Thailand’s leading tourism hotspots will reopen to fully vaccinated international tourists from Tuesday (11 January), despite the rise of the Omicron variant. Visitors will be able to enter Krabi, Phang Nga, Ko Samui, Ko Pha-ngan and Ko Tao, provided they stay at an approved hotel for at least seven days. (The Guardian)
Hong Kong flight ban leaves executives stranded and threatens city’s hub status
International business groups in Hong Kong have urged authorities to restart flights to the city, following warnings that the current ban on foreign travel due to Covid could deter companies from using the financial hub as their regional headquarters. (Financial Times)
Bullish finance directors are ready to spend again
The UK economy is set to receive a much-needed boost from business investment this year, with a record proportion of finance directors planning to spend more cash on expansion in 2022, according to a survey from Deloitte. (The Times)
