Government

South Africa 'ready for inbound visitors' after red list reprieve

Tourism minister Lindiwe Sisulu has welcomed the UK government’s decision to remove South Africa from its red list, and said the country was ready to welcome British travellers

'We can't close down the economy every time there's a variant of concern'

Heathrow boss John Holland-Kaye says temporary testing measures should be lifted immediately after the government emptied the red list with the Omicron variant becoming dominant

Irish agents welcome €10m in support from government

Ireland’s government is making financial support available to outbound travel agencies

PM suffers huge rebellion and red list emptied again

All 11 remaining countries on the UK’s red list have been removed, while nearly 100 Conservative MPs have defied the PM on new vaccine pass rules

'Yo-yo' decision-making harming 'fragile' travel industry

Advantage Travel Partnership boss Julia Lo Bue-Said has urged the government to ’stick to a process and make rational and reasonable responses’ after the latest changes to the UK’s travel rules

'Scrap testing too', pleads travel after red list mothballed

Industry reacts to government decision to empty the UK’s red list for a second, but retain the more stringent testing measures introduced last month

All 11 countries on UK red list to be removed – Javid

South Africa, along with 10 other southern African countries, will be removed from the red list from 4am on Wednesday (15 December)

Jamaica ‘well prepared’ to meet pre-departure testing requirement

The island’s tourist board said it has established "ample" testing locations

Javid: Need for international travel restrictions 'minimised'

Health secretary Sajid Javid says he hopes the government can ’act quickly’ to reverse international travel curbs

Operators and airlines reduce Christmas holiday prices due to Omicron impact

The move comes amid a sales ’stall’ due to concerns over the Omicron variant of Covid-19

End of hotel quarantine 'imminent' and Xmas holiday bargains

Tuesday’s national headlines suggest the government is set to ease its red list regime, while travel companies are slashing prices over Christmas

Amazon to sell PCR travel tests for £34.99

The government-approved tests will be valid for the UK’s day-two, day-eight and ’test to release’ arrivals programmes

NHS Covid Pass for travel extended to 12 to 15-year-olds

A person with legal responsibility for a child can request the vaccination proof on their behalf

Red list to be scrapped and replaced by testing – reports

Transport secretary Grant Shapps has reportedly convinced government colleagues to ease the UK’s stringent red list rules, the Mail on Sunday reports

Govt's 'haphazard' travel rules in the firing line and red list to be scrapped?

The red list could be axed this week and replaced by testing, it has been reported in the national press, while industry bosses hit out over current Covid rules

Airlines criticise UK govt's 'disproportionate' travel restrictions

Bosses of eight UK carriers called for an ’urgent meeting’ with the prime minister to discuss the travel rules

MP urges govt to give timescale for removal of new travel restrictions

Transport committee chairman wants to know “rationale” for latest rules on international travel

Inbound sector pleads for emergency cash to ‘weather’ Omicron storm

New travel restrictions have caused ‘mass cancellations’ for stricken industry

Heathrow traffic hit by cancellations from business travellers

Airport says corporate passengers are worried about getting stuck overseas before Christmas

Travellers from Britain to Ireland advised to take Covid tests for five days

Arrivals will also have to self isolate immediately and take a PCR test if they develop symptoms

Majority of agents to defy new work-from-home guidance

Agent campaign group Target said only 4% of its members would close their shops or offices after the government set out its Covid Plan B on Wednesday

'Ditch the red list' says travel boss facing 20 days in self-isolation

Chris Mears from Experience Africa Events has slammed the UK’s current testing and quarantine system after rushing home from South Africa

Javid: Travel restrictions could be rolled back 'very quickly'

Health sec says that if, as is likely, Omicron becomes the dominant variant of Covid-19, ‘there will be less need to have any kind of travel restrictions at all’

Travel 'wasting its time asking for sector-specific support'

On the Beach boss Simon Cooper tells TTG he doesn’t believe the government is likely to show any greater willingness to support travel given its scant support over the past 20 months