Jet2 has instructed Majorcan hoteliers to prepare for the “massive arrival” of British travellers from June 2, rather than the UK Government’s projected holiday restart date of May 17.
According to Palma-based travel magazine Preferente, the travel company “has informed Majorcan hoteliers that it is scheduling the beginning of the massive arrival of Brits on the island for June 2.”
The magazine added: “This is what Preferente has been told by tourist chiefs.”
Jet2 will reportedly resume flights to the Spanish islands from May 17, but judging by its instructions, it doesn’t expect the holiday rush to begin until more than a fortnight later – or, perhaps, it understands that holiday restrictions will still be in place.
A spokesperson told Telegraph Travel: “As a responsible partner, we have of course informed hoteliers about the demand we are seeing for flights and holidays to Majorca. The UK Government has shown a clear ambition to reopen international travel in the coming months, and we have seen a surge in demand since then.
“We are currently planning to restart flights and holidays on May 17, and we await further detail from the UK government.”
Scroll down for more of today's travel headlines.
04:58 PM
What happened today?
British Airways trials digital health documentation for travellers
Restrictions on Portugal travel will be eased from 4am Friday
Qatar, Oman, Somalia and Ethiopia have been added to England's 'red list'
EU seeks to restart travel with Covid 'passport'
Self-catering stays in Scotland could be back on the menu from as early as April or May
Viking Cruises to resume holidays in May
Follow along tomorrow for all the latest updates.
04:53 PM
The best hotels for spa breaks in the UK
Even before the pandemic the spa-scape was constantly evolving. It wasn’t long ago that a spa meant a couple of pokey treatment rooms doing overpriced, mediocre massages and facials. The UK once lagged way behind the likes of Austria, Germany, Italy and Hungary – countries where spa-going is part of the culture, and a steam, sauna and cold dip (often in the nude, men and women alike) is the natural thing to do before a pre-dinner G&T.
Scarlet
But as our insatiable interest in wellness, fitness and, increasingly, mindfulness continues to grow, so has the offering in spa hotels across the UK. We round up some of the best we hope to see again in May and beyond, from year-round rooftop spas in Yorkshire and natural pools overlooking the Cornish coastline, to the thermal spa waters of Bath.
Self-catering stays in Scotland could be back on the menu from as early as April or May
Ms Sturgeon said today that she hopes restrictions between Scotland and other parts of the UK can be lifted "if not on April 26, then as soon as possible thereafter". This will be confirmed during April, and is subject to restrictions.
Below, we round-up three excellent options for when we can travel to Scotland for a self-catering stay again.
The Treehouses at Lanrick, Perthshire
On the banks of the River Teith in Perthshire, you'll find five luxury treehouses with log burning stoves, outdoor baths and barbecue facilities. Nearby you can enjoy scenic walks, biking, salmon fishing and more. From £200 per night.
Leuchie Garden House, East Lothian
This modern six-bedroom house from Crabtree & Crabtree is set in five acres of historic gardens, just one mile from the trendy seaside town of North Berwick. Be sure to arrange with the owner an exclusive landing on the Bass Rock, whose 150,000 gannets David Attenborough described as one of the wonders of the natural world. From £7,500 for seven nights.
Kyle House, Sutherland
Fish&Pips' Kyle House is the perfect retreat for two, surrounded by nature. Expect amazing uninterrupted views along the length of the sea loch to the North. From £1,260 for three nights.
04:36 PM
The UK's best secret and remote beaches, far from the madding crowds
Dig out the beach towels and grab your cases from under the bed. After all the thwarted plans, there is light at the end of the tunnel.
Covehithe has some striking natural sculptures - Getty
If all goes to plan with the lockdown roadmap, domestic travel will slowly reopen from April 12, with even more easing of restrictions from May 17. The seaside will be waiting – ice cream vans and candy floss stalls at the ready.
'My South African insurance claim turned into a car crash'
In our consumer correspondent Gill Charlton's latest column, she helps a reader waiting for £1,395 to be reimbursed following an accident in Johannesburg.
Would you take the plunge with a healing holiday led by the 'Ice Man'?
Wim Hof, one seriously cool dude
Wim Hof’s foray into the world of ice started when he was 17. He was walking through a park in Amsterdam and suddenly felt an urge to jump into a body of cold water. From that moment, he was hooked on the euphoric feeling the cold gave him and he went about developing a unique breathing technique that would allow him to stay in longer.
Today, the 61-year-old who describes himself as has "inquisitive, heart-felt, and driven", has more world records than he can count, including one for sitting immersed in a tub of ice for one hour 53 minutes and two seconds, with only his breath and focused mind to keep him going.
He is also known for just wearing a pair of shorts during his stunts, and he even climbed to 7,200 metres (23,600 ft) on Mount Everest and reached the summit of Kilimanjaro (5,895 metres) in nothing but shorts and shoes.
Tui calls for ‘clear and aligned’ government travel advice
Tui's UK managing director has called for 'clear, coordinated and aligned' travel advice from the government, in order for international holidays to restart on May 17.
Speaking at the Travel Weekly Future of Travel forum, UK managing director Andrew Flintham said he was “hopeful and fairly confident” that the Global Travel Taskforce would deliver a report on how travel can restart. The report is due on April 12.
However, he emphasised that coordination between the advice issued by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) and travel corridors will be ‘key’ to reopening international travel.
“We need the message to be ‘travel is open’,” said Flintham. “What we are telling government is we really need clear, coordinated and aligned FCDO advice that goes along with this to open up travel.”
03:23 PM
Incredible cruise destinations that inspired literary masterpieces
Perhaps you've spent the pandemic with your head buried in books – or in cruise brochures? Until we can get back on the water again, feast your eyes on these destinations that inspired famous works of literature...
Sturgeon: Travel restrictions on mainland Scotland will be" lifted entirely"
Nicola Sturgeon has said the middle of April should see all nine priority groups receive their first vaccine doses - meaning all adults over 50 will have had some protection. That covers groups of the population which account for 99 per cent of all Covid deaths, she notes.
That means from April 26 she will have "confidence to ease much more significantly" current restrictions, dropping mainland Scotland from level four to three, and island areas from three to two.
Travel restrictions on mainland Scotland will be" lifted entirely", but travel to and from the mainland might continue to have restrictions to protect the island communities.
She added that she hopes restrictions between Scotland and other parts of the UK can be lifted "if not on April 26, then as soon as possible thereafter". This will be confirmed during April.
Non-essential travel to "some international destinations" may not be possible "for a period after" May 17 because of the rising cases elsewhere. It is likely that testing will continue to be a requirement for some time.
02:45 PM
Will the South African variant dodge the vaccines?
As the UK Government enforces travel bans on four additional countries – Qatar, Oman, Ethiopia and Somalia – over concerns about Covid variants, Oliver Smith asks: Will the South African variant really dodge the vaccines?
The answer? Yes and no...
Studies suggest that the existing vaccines, including both the Oxford and Pfizer jabs, will be less effective against the 501.V2 variant. However, the same studies also indicate that they will still prevent serious illness and death.
Professor David Livermore, a microbiologist at the University of East Anglia, recently told Telegraph Travel: "Vaccines will improve matters but won’t bring us to the unreachable mirage of Zero Covid. We have only ever eradicated one virus, smallpox, and it was far less clever and adaptable than Sars-Cov-2.
"As Matt Hancock has said, our expectation should be to live with Covid-19, as with influenza, which causes 10,000-30,000 UK deaths annually. We will likely need to tweak vaccines to address circulating variants, perhaps annually. This will be easier than for influenza because coronaviruses are not so prone to sudden massive recombination events and because mRNA vaccines – a real breakthrough – can be chemically manufactured and adapted, whereas flu vaccines begin with the tedious task of growing the virus in eggs."
02:33 PM
How the 0.1% spent the pandemic: Confessions of a private jet flight attendant
“Confidentiality is key in this industry,” says Ava, a flight attendant who made the transition from first class to private jets in 2019. “We try to protect our clients’ personal lives.”
Trying to get a peek behind the curtain at the antics of the rich and famous can be tricky, precisely for this reason – part of the price these customers pay is for discretion.
The European Union will tomorrow unveil a Covid-19 pass to allow free travel this summer and support the struggling tourism sector despite the bloc's sluggish vaccination campaign.
The EU's executive European Commission will propose creating a bloc-wide "green digital certificate" that would combine information on vaccination, Covid-19 tests and recovery from the disease to allow people to take flights and cross borders.
"It will allow everyone from the European Union to come and visit us with security," said Alfonso Lopez, director of The Hat hotel and Villa Verbena restaurant in Madrid.
"I think it will help us have a reasonable summer season," he said, calling last summer "an absolute disaster".
02:03 PM
Highest levels of air travel in US reported since pandemic began
More than 1.3 million people were screened by the Transportation Security Administration on March 12 and 14, marking the highest levels of air travel in the United States since the start of the pandemic.
Additionally, shares of the four largest American carriers climbed to their highest prices in more than a year.
The best restaurants, spas and fun things to do at UK hotels from April 12
Hotels in England are not able to reopen until May 17 at the earliest, but there is a snag: with other parts of hospitality back in action from April 12, many are seizing the opportunity to offer ‘hotel-lite’ experiences in the intervening five weeks, from restaurants to self-catering pivots and even spas.
Turkey has become Britain's number one summer holiday option
"We are looking forward to welcoming British tourists with open arms”. This recent announcement from Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, Turkey’s Minister of Culture and Tourism, was like a shaft of Mediterranean sunlight to millions of Brits hoping to visit this most hospitable of countries in 2021.
Turkey will welcome Britons this summer, no questions asked - Getty
Vowing that vaccine passports would not be required for UK holidaymakers, Ersoy further bolstered the prospects of Brits once again lounging on some of the Mediterranean’s best beaches, enjoying one of the world’s finest cuisines, and strolling around some of its incomparable ancient sites, by expressing the expectation that, following an April 15 review, negative PCR tests would also not be required by British visitors owing to the success of the UK vaccination roll-out.
The fascinating historical stays that cost as little as £29 a night
A former royal hunting lodge, a retired granary and a shepherd's bothy are among the places on offer through the Youth Hostel Association this summer – from as little as £29 per night...
Travel back to Chaucer's England with a stay in this Friary - YHA
'The threat of hotel quarantine is a hovering finger over a nuclear button for our holidays'
'It pains me to say this, as a travel journalist, but I will not dare board a flight if there is a ‘red list’ and the threat of hotel quarantine,' writes Greg Dickinson.
The dread of hotel incarceration aside, I simply cannot afford it, and as a key worker my girlfriend would be stung by having to take an additional ten days off work, unpaid.
Perhaps adding to the mistrust in the Government’s on/off border policies is its refusal to be straight with us. Why, exactly, have Somalia, Ethiopia, Qatar and Oman been added to the red list? Not a single case of the South African variant has been detected in any one of these countries.
Cherry blossom is blooming across China, a symbol of regeneration and the fragility of life. And with domestic travel restrictions eased in many areas, Chinese tourists are free to enjoy them:
A cherry tree orchard in Guian New Area, southwest China - Alamy Live News
Tourists fill the road to admire the cherry blossom near Jiming Temple in Nanjing, east China - FEATURECHINA / Avalon
12:29 PM
Russia extends travel ban on UK flights by one month
Russia has extended a ban on flights to and from the UK by one month, until April 16, due to a new variant of the coronavirus first detected in the UK, Russia's coronavirus task force has said.
Russia has reported 28 cases of the more infectious variant, said consumer health regulator Rospotrebnadzor. The country has had its flight ban in place since December 22.
12:16 PM
Cambodia reports daily record of new infections
Even Buddhist monks at the Angkor Wat temple now wear face coverings - Getty
Cambodia reported a daily record 105 new coronavirus cases yesterday, as an outbreak spread further and authorities urged people not to travel between regions amid a sharp rise in infections.
Although Cambodia has recorded among the fewest number of confirmed cases in Asia, its 1,430 infections are nearly triple the number of a month ago, when its latest outbreak was first detected.
More than half of the new cases reported on Tuesday were in one district of Kandal province, which borders Vietnam, the ministry said in a statement.
12:04 PM
UK travel 'red list': the latest additions
Qatar, Oman, Somalia and Ethiopia have been added to England's 'red list', meaning that direct flights to and from the nations will be banned from 4am on Friday.
Non-British nationals travelling from 'red list' destinations are also prohibited from entering the country, while returning Britons must spend ten days in hotel quarantine – at a cost of £1,750 per single traveller.
The additions to the list were made to "protect the country against new variants of Covid-19", the Department of Transport said. But Paul Charles, CEO of travel consultancy The PC Agency, accused the Government of widening the UK's travel ban "by stealth".
"By adding Qatar and Ethiopia, the Government is forcing anyone transiting through these hubs to have to hotel quarantine. So the decision adds tens of extra destinations to the red list. The red high-risk list has grown by stealth."
Meanwhile, Portugal and Mauritius have been removed from the list, raising hopes that summer holidays to the countries will be possible.
11:44 AM
The beautiful Turkish wonder you’ve probably never heard of
Akdamar is the jewel in Lake Van’s tourism crown - Getty
Fringed by tawny-hued peaks soaring to 13,000ft, startlingly blue Lake Van, an inland sea seven times larger than Lake Geneva, is one of Turkey’s best-kept secrets.
Given that this intriguingly beautiful high-altitude (5,380ft above sea level) lake lies almost a thousand road miles east of the fleshpots of Turkey’s economic and cultural capital of Istanbul, it’s not surprising that relatively few Turks make it out here, let alone foreigners, who flock instead to the country’s Aegean and Mediterranean coasts.
Have cases of the South African variant been detected in the new 'red list' countries?
No cases of the South African variant have been found in Oman - Getty
The addition of Qatar, Ethiopia, Somalia and Oman to the travel red list is part of a general clampdown on sub-Saharan Africa (Qatar and Oman have a number of flight connections with the region) over fears about the so-called South African variant (501.V2).
So how many cases of said variant have been detected in these four countries? Er, none. However, on March 3, the Philippines confirmed its first six cases of the South African variant, including one person who had recently visited Qatar.
By contrast, 234 cases of the 501.V2 variant have already been found within the UK, which experts such as microbiologist Professor David Livermore believe renders the whole process of banning travellers from abroad rather pointless.
11:10 AM
Las Vegas casinos reopen at half capacity
Thousands of tourists have descended upon Las Vegas, as the city takes a gamble on loosening coronavirus restrictions and allows casinos to operate at 50 per cent capacity.
But photographs taken over the weekend show revellers from across the US mingling on the city’s main strip with scant regard for social distancing measures.
With only 222 new cases and one death in the whole of Nevada on Sunday, restaurants, gyms, arcades, bowling alleys, racetracks and casino floors can now increase their operating capacity from 35 per cent to 50 per cent. Nightclubs and brothels remain closed.
The new limitations are expected to remain in place until May 1 when the state says it will review the measures and make changes. But concerns have been raised that despite clear signage and a number of enforcement officers, tourists are not adhering to the rules. Videos on social media showed the city’s strip bustling with partygoers.
“I took a few pictures to send to my son in Chicago, and I said, ‘I can’t believe there are this many people out,’” 55-year-old local resident Laura Amendala told the Las Vegas Review Journal. “It’s scary just because mask compliance is an issue.”
10:58 AM
Have your say: Testing in ski resorts?
Would you object to regular Covid testing on your next ski holiday? In the Austrian Tirol, skiers must agree to take tests in order to access the slopes – but is this a restriction too far?
Have your say in our Twitter poll:
Follow our report from the Austrian Tirol, where testing is mandatory to access the slopes, we're asking: Would you welcome frequent testing in resorts for visitors next winter?
The Covid picture in the four new 'red list' destinations
Four destinations – Qatar, Ethiopia, Somalia and Oman– were added to the UK's travel red list this week, meaning direct flights are banned, as are visitors, while Britons returning from these countries must spend 10 days in a quarantine hotel (at a cost of £1,750 per person).
But how bad is the Covid situation in the four destinations? It's not exactly alarming, writes Oliver Smith.
The UK's Covid death rate is 1,853 per million residents. Oman's is 315, Qatar's is 92, Somalia's is 24 and Ethiopia's 22:
Death rates per country
What's more, neither cases nor deaths have increased in the four countries during recent weeks, with each showing a steady infection rate per capita. Perhaps the Government has other information, but, as is so often the case, it has declined to reveal the reasons behind its decision.
Daily Covid cases
Daily deaths
10:35 AM
Viking Cruises to resume holidays in May
The cruise line has planned two departures for May, and one for June - Viking Cruises
Viking Cruises will restart "limited operations" in May with three sailings along the coast of England, reports Benjamin Parker, with passengers among the first to sail onboard its newest ocean ship, Viking Venus.
The eight-day 'England’s Scenic Shores' itineraries will sail round-trip from Portsmouth, with departures on May 22, May 29 and June 5 – soon after the earliest date allowed as part of Boris Johnson's roadmap out of lockdown. Further details are scarce but the operator said it plans to release more details "in due course".
Torstein Hagen, the chairman of Viking, said:
We welcome the UK Government’s support for the return of safe domestic cruises as an important component in the travel industry’s recovery. In recognition of this support, and to celebrate the fact we have a British godmother – the esteemed broadcaster and journalist Anne Diamond – we have chosen to name our new ship, Viking Venus, in the UK on May 17.
We are in a position to restart operations quickly and to start sailing again in May because we have kept our ships crewed during warm lay-up throughout the past 12 months. We have been implementing our additional protocols, including daily quick and easy non-invasive saliva PCR tests for our crew, for almost six months now. We look forward to welcoming UK guests back on board very soon.
10:19 AM
British Airways trials digital health documentation for travellers
British Airways customers travelling between London and India are now able to upload their negative Covid-19 test results and Declaration to Travel form directly into their booking, via the airline’s website.
The new initiative is being trialled in the hope that it will simplify the return of international travel, enabling travellers to submit essential paperwork before beginning their journeys.
It is accessed via the 'Manage My Booking' section of ba.com, with the capability to upload test results and the Declaration to Travel form. The trial is currently running on all flights from London to India, though the airline aims to extend it to additional destinations over the coming weeks – and add the functionality to the BA app.
10:03 AM
Russians sunseekers flock to restriction-free Tanzania as Covid concerns grow
Holiday flights are pouring into Zanzibar - Getty
While its idyllic island of Zanzibar is packed with Russian tourists, Tanzania faces a Covid conundrum with a mysteriously absent president, writes Sarah Marshall.
Although many airlines will only carry travellers with a negative PCR test, Tanzania has no official requirements. Enticed by the promise of easy entry, guaranteed sunshine and slashed resort rates, a new type of tourist is appearing.
Several times a week, direct scheduled and charter flights from Moscow bring coachloads of Russian holidaymakers to Zanzibar.
Response from locals is mixed. “Some arrive with a beer in each hand,” one guide joked to me. “But they keep us busy; we are grateful for that,” he quickly added.
Reports from other hoteliers I met were less favourable. One manager of a boutique beach resort in the north complained of non-guests trespassing onto the property and leaping into the pool; another, based in Stone Town, was concerned by the number of skimpy dressers walking through the historic streets of what is still a predominantly conservative Muslim society.
Manila orders under-18s to stay indoors as cases surge
Borders remain closed to international tourists indefinitely, as the island nation continues with its extremely tough lockdown - Getty
The Philippine capital Manila will widen a ban on minors leaving their residences to include youths of up to 18 years old for two weeks starting on Wednesday, tightening restrictions in a bid to tackle a new surge of infections.
Only those aged 18-65 years old will be allowed out of their homes, the Metro Manila Development Authority said in a statement, citing an agreement among mayors.
The Philippines late last year started easing one of the world's longest and strictest lockdowns though a rule that anyone under 15 must stay indoors in Manila remained in place.
Restrictions on Portugal travel will be eased from 4am Friday
The flight and maritime ban on Portugal – including Madeira and the Azores – will be removed on Friday at 4am, the Government has confirmed.
Travellers arriving in England will be permitted to complete their quarantine at home, rather than in a designated hotel.
João Fernandes, President of Algarve Tourism Bureau, told Telegraph Travel:
We are delighted with the decision to take Portugal off the red list. We have been able to overcome a second wave of coronavirus, to reduce the infections levels to some of the lowest in Europe.
The Algarve has always been a favourite holiday destination with British holidaymakers and this announcement is a hopeful sign that we will soon be able to welcome them back in early summer. The Algarve offers so much as a holiday destination. We can’t wait to welcome back British visitors and share our beautiful region with them once more.
09:12 AM
China poised to issue visas to vaccinated travellers – with a caveat
China has been closed to most foreigners since last March - Getty
China is set to ease its border restrictions to allow some foreigners – including from the US, India and Pakistan – into the country, provided they have taken a Chinese-made Covid-19 vaccine.
The country has been closed to most foreigners since last March to stem the spread of coronavirus, which it has largely brought under control. However, the move has stranded many foreigners with jobs and family inside China overseas.
But Chinese embassies in several countries have issued notices saying the country will open visa applications to select people who have taken a China-made jab.
08:54 AM
Red list additions are ‘further blow’ to business travel
The addition of Somalia and Ethiopia to the red list may not affect many leisure travellers, but it will deal a further blow to business travel, warns Clive Wratten, CEO of the Business Travel Association:
It is good news that Portugal is no longer on the red list. However, for business travellers to see the vital humanitarian links with Somalia, business links with Qatar and energy travel to Oman basically prohibited is a further blow to our beleaguered sector.
The Global Travel Task Force urgently needs to work with the business travel and leisure sectors to create sustainable roadmaps that enable safe travel, economic growth and a truly global Britain.
08:27 AM
Monday's headlines
Before we begin, a quick recap of yesterday's headlines:
Turkey plans to be first country to accept British holidaymakers without Covid checks
Third of Britons 'won't pay' for Covid test to travel
Coronavirus surge forces swathes of Italy back into lockdown
Nicola Sturgeon to announce plans to ease lockdown
Germans urged not to travel after Majorca restrictions lifted
Our final 2024 mock draft projects four quarterbacks in the first five picks, but the Cardinals at No. 4 might represent the key pivot point of the entire board.
Trump is entitled to an additional 36 million shares if the company's share price trades above $17.50 "for twenty out of any thirty trading days" over the next three years.
Dan Wetzel, Ross Dellenger & SI’s Pat Forde react to the huge performance this weekend by Texas QB Arch Manning, Michigan and Notre Dame's spring games, Jaden Rashada entering the transfer portal, and more
Ford offers the new Mustang's updated 5.0-liter Coyote V8 as a crate engine, and it also sells a supercharger kit that unlocks a total of 810 horsepower.
Arch Manning gave Texas football fans an enticing look at the future, throwing for 355 yards and three touchdowns in the Longhorns' Orange-White spring game.
