Hong Kong hit hardest by global collapse of travel as tough restrictions see 95 per cent drop in visitors February 13, 2022 The global pandemic has hit Hong Kong’s travel sector harder than any other country in the world, as the country’s tough travel restrictions have seen a 95 per cent drop in the number of visitors. The value generated by Hong Kong’s travel sector dropped 75 per cent between 2019 and 2020, analysis from Compare the [...]
All bad things come to an end: Post arrival tests scrapped from today February 11, 2022 The UK seems to have put Covid behind as from this morning at 4am post arrival Covid tests will be scrapped for fully jabbed travellers. Passengers coming to the UK will still need to fill out a simplified passenger locator form (PLF), confirming their vaccination status as well as travel history and contact details. “The [...]
No more staycations: End of UK travel rules boosts half-term holiday abroad February 11, 2022 The scrapping of post-arrival tests for fully vaccinated has given a huge boost to Brits’ confidence to travel abroad. According to data released today by travel association ABTA, around 833,000 people will go on holiday abroad this half-term, choosing Turkey, Portugal as well as sky resorts in France and Italy as their preferred destinations. Following [...]
UK travel and tourism could reach £192bn in 2022 if borders stay open February 10, 2022 Following two disastrous years the UK’s travel and tourism industry is finally getting back on its feet, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC). If travel restrictions and testing protocols remain off limits, the WTTC predicts the sector’s contribution to the national economy to go up to £192bn, bringing with it a 1.7 [...]
UK summer flight bookings almost close to 2019 levels as Brits look at travelling with optimism February 9, 2022 UK summer flight bookings have gone back to almost pre-pandemic levels, as Brits look at foreign travelling with a newfound optimism despite a series of economic crunches. According to data from travel trend firm ForwardKeys, bookings for the summer of 2022 lagged behind only 16 per cent compared with 2019 levels. While many travellers still [...]
UK loses £7bn from Omicron restrictions’ impact on travel and tourism February 8, 2022 The UK has lost around £7bn from the impact of Omicron restrictions on travel and tourism, according to World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) data. “Imposing unnecessary travel restrictions to ‘deal’ with Omicron was not backed by science and cost the UK economy £7bn in lost revenues,” said WTTC’s chief executive Julia Simpson. “Travel is [...]
The Long Weekend: Why ancient Porto is the ultimate Euro city break February 8, 2022 THE WEEKEND: We booked a long weekend in Porto by chance, listing everywhere in Europe with mild weather and reasonable flight times for a London getaway. And thank goodness we did, because this city – a rabbit’s warren of vertiginous alleyways pulsing with street music and imbued with the aroma of centuries-old port – is [...]
Brits welcomed back down under as Australia reopens its borders to vaccinated tourists February 7, 2022 Brits will once again be welcome down under after the Australian Government announced today its decision to reopen the borders to fully-jabbed tourists from 21 February. Travellers will no longer be required to quarantine upon arrival, but they will still need to present a Covid test – either PCR or lateral flow – taken within [...]
A culinary pilgrimage through Austria’s spectacular Tyrol February 2, 2022 I was on a pilgrimage to Tyrol in the Austrian Alps, albeit one to satisfy the stomach more than the soul. A culinary journey of rediscovery, if you will. But the first meal I had was far from heavenly – a dry Schnitzelsemmel. Worse still, it was at a motorway service station. Retrospectively, the breaded [...]
CarTrawler CEO Cormac Barry on the travel sector’s long road to recovery January 23, 2022 No more PCR tests before arriving in England and most travel restrictions out of the window. International arrivals will instead be asked to take a lateral flow test on arrival and only to self-isolate if it comes back positive. The UK government’s recent announcements were warmly welcomed by the UK’s aviation and tourism sectors, including [...]