The 14-day quarantine will be eased in a matter of days, opening up holidays for British nationals after months stuck at home, according to a senior Tory MP.
Treasurer of the 1922 Committee and Conservative MP Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown told BBC’s Today programme: “By June 28 or thereabouts we will have had some negotiations on air corridors with countries that have lower rates than ours.”
He went on to say it does not make a lot of “rational sense” to quarantine countries with lower infection rates than the UK at this late stage of the pandemic.
"If we are going to do it, we should've done it much earlier. But there we are. We've got it. But I think it will be eased from June 28 or thereabouts,” he said.
This comes as President Macron makes a state visit to the UK today. Speaking on BBC Breakfast this morning, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab raised hopes of a UK/France 'air bridge'.
“We want to open up as soon as we safely and responsibly can and we will look at all the mechanisms to do so and of course we’ll have a good conversation with the French,” he said. “I’ll be in Berlin tomorrow so we’re talking to all of our European partners about these things.”
05:02 PM
Today's key stories
Here's a recap:
London City will resume flights on June 21
Cuba and the Dominican Republic will welcome tourists from July 1
Malta will reopen to British holidaymakers on July 15
Florida’s tourism businesses fear second shutdown after new spike
Cornwall tourism suffers £630m lockdown loss
Italy will pay its citizens €500 to go on holiday
04:02 PM
Hurtigruten could sail from UK this year if Covid-19 levels fall
Cruise line Hurtigruten has given a glint of hope to Britons missing their cruises that they may be able to sail before the end of 2020 – but only if the UK manages to lower its coronavirus infection rate.
Speaking at a digital press conference from on-board Finnmarken as it sailed along the coast of Norway, chief executive Daniel Skjeldam said that should it be safe his company would “start to look at operating cruises” from Britain.
Malta has confirmed that British holidaymakers will be allowed to fly to the country from July 15, as one of Europe’s most popular destinations looks to kickstart its travel industry.
Tourists from the UK will be welcomed back to the Mediterranean island nation in the second wave of what will be a staggered two-step reopening of its borders after more than three months of self-imposed isolation. The first holidaymakers – including summer visitors from the likes of Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Cyprus, Norway and Denmark – will be able to travel in from July 1, with the rest of the planet following a fortnight later.
The green light for tourists coming in from Britain is irrespective of the 14-day quarantine regulations currently in place for travellers entering or returning to the UK - and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) advice against all non-essential travel.
Valletta, Malta
“We hope the FCO warning and the quarantine requirements will change on the UK side before July 15,” says Tolene Van der Merwe, the director of the Malta Tourism Authority in the UK and Ireland. “But this is independent of what Britain does – we will be open.”
Tourism hotspots in Scottish Highlands plan towards July reopening
Tourism hotspots in the Scottish Highlands have been given hope today as First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced further measures to ease lockdown in the country.
The Nevis Range, one of Scotland’s five ski resorts and leading summer outdoor activity centre, has said it is working on plans to reopen next month, following an announcement by Scottish authorities that tourism businesses in the country could be permitted to reopen from July 15.
“We have been working closely with the Scottish Government since the start of the lockdown, with advance notice of a reopening date a top priority for us. We are understandably extremely pleased to be able to announce that Scottish Tourism Businesses will be able to reopen on July 15,” said Chris O’Brien, chief executive at Nevis Range, who just last month declared the coronavirus pandemic has been the toughest challenge the resort has faced in its 30-year history.
Staff have been working on putting new safety measures in place to ensure the resort can open as soon as possible. New systems include thermal screening, increased cleaning procedures and social distancing measures in local restaurants.
Luxury travellers race to book up Europe's exclusive villas
Well-heeled travellers are rushing to secure secluded villas in Europe for late summer trips, according to one luxury tour operator.
As travel restrictions begin to ease across the Continent, British holidaymakers are eyeing up escapes towards the end of the season, said Kerry Gold, managing director of Abercrombie and Kent and Cox and Kings.
“We anticipate a spike in demand for bookings towards the end of the summer,” she said. “We’re already seeing a big increase in enquiries for our European villas and other holidays closer to home on the continent.”
UK hospitality and tourism businesses are 'planning in the dark'
A July 4 independence day for hotels, restaurants and pubs is beginning to look less and less likely, though a number of well-known hotel brands are still determined to reopen and have announced July 4 as a reopening date.
A key part of the problem is that no guidelines have been announced, meaning businesses cannot begin to prepare a plan to operate in the ‘new normal’: the difference between having to space tables apart by one metre or two, for instance, will make a huge difference.
Gill Haigh, managing director of Cumbria Tourism, sums up the mood of the industry with a recent tweet:
“Frustrated. A little over 2 weeks until the government says the hospitality sector can begin to reopen yet STILL no promised national guidance. Closed since March, businesses have worked [...] tirelessly to remodel to reopen safely. The season is disappearing fast!!”
A retired Cuban nurse, Feridia Rojas, wears a cardboard box shaped like a house to protect herself from Covid-19 in Havana.
01:53 PM
Watch: 'We do want to open up UK to travel,' says Dominic Raab
01:40 PM
Italy launches 'holiday bonus'
Italy has revealed details of a new "holiday bonus" scheme, which will aim to boost the country's struggling tourism economy after the Covid-19 lockdown.
Under the plans, low-income households will receive up to €500 to go on a domestic holiday. The government said it has budgeted €2.4 billion, available for all households earning less than €40,000 per year. The idea is to promote tourism in Italy, rather than abroad.
Single households will get €150, couples €300, while families of three or more will get €500. The bonus can be used between July 1 and December 31.
Applicants will also receive big discounts on accommodation – up to 80%.
01:36 PM
The Eiffel Tower is reopening
Here's a glimpse of preparations, as the Eiffel Tower prepares to reopen next Thursday.
SkyScanner has released data of the most searched-for destinations this month.
UK
Greece
Thailand
France
Netherlands
USA
South Korea
Italy
Spain
Turkey
Where will you be going, after the pandemic? Comment at the bottom of this blog to join the conversation.
01:04 PM
Searching for the demons that 'caused' Covid-19
Supreme leader of Iran Ali Khamenei recently referred to two "enemies" that had conspired to infest Iran with Covid-19: humans and Jinn.
Frequently mentioned in the Holy Quran, Jinn plague humans yet can also have their powers harnessed by people who understand their magic. Sitting one level below angels and devils in Arabic mythology, Jinn consist of flames or air, and can morph into animal or human form. They are mortal yet are otherwise free of human physical limitations...
Responding to the Government’s announcement today that will pump £100bn into the UK economy to aid its post-lockdown recovery, Kane Pirie, Founder and Managing Director, VIVID Travel, said:
“It’s a positive sign that other issues like the economy and jobs are now clearly back on the agenda. But it’s still frustrating there is no specific help for the travel industry.
“There are over £10 billion in overdue refunds which if unlocked would be a huge boost to the public’s spending power.
“Instead of specific help, we have specific hindrance with the belated swiss-cheese quarantine, which has caused havoc.
“Another specific problem is customers can’t buy travel insurance for Covid-19. It’s not available.
“Buying bonds is good for money-supply but what we really need is more targeted measures to stimulate demand.”
12:09 PM
Lunchtime listen
Have you listened to our new podcast, Postcards, yet?
This week, we speak to Griff Rhys Jones, who told us about the time his boat caught fire in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Get yourself a sandwich and listen over lunch.
12:08 PM
Scotland to enter Phase 2 of route map out of lockdown
Nicola Sturgeon has just announced that Scotland is loosening its lockdown. So what does that mean?
🏴 @NicolaSturgeon has announced a further easing of lockdown restrictions in Scotland, as we move to Phase 2 of the @scotgov route map.
Following from the news that Cuba is reopening next month, neighbouring Caribbean country Dominican Republic has announced that it will be ready to receive international visitors from July 1st.
"The Dominican tourism industry is ready to start receiving visitors from July 1 in a responsible manner and complying with the recommendations of national and international organizations on hygiene, disinfection and social distancing," said the Minister of Tourism, Francisco Javier García.
Florida’s tourism businesses fear second shutdown as cases soar
On Tuesday (June 16), Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings warned a ‘second wave’ of restrictions was possible if Central Florida residents didn’t observe recommendations for social distancing and face masks, and other civic leaders have echoed his comments.
Medical Director Dr Todd Husty of Seminole County – immediately to the north of Orlando – went even further. He insisted: “This is definitely a spike. We have more cases; we have lots more cases. And it is escalating. It’s not getting better, so that’s very disturbing.”
Universal Orlando has already reopened
As the epicentre of Florida’s tourism, which attracts 75 million visitors a year, Orlando has been most heavily affected by the pandemic, with around 100,000 redundancies since March 15, but the economy had been showing signs of a slow improvement since early May, when the state went into its Phase 1 reopening.
The so-called 'quarantine' for trips to France is an unenforced farce
Says our consumer expert, Nick Trend.
There is a huge irony to today’s visit by President Macron. It marks the 80th anniversary of Charles de Gaulle’s broadcast to his occupied homeland after the 1940 Nazi invasion of France, one of the most poignant symbols of the incredibly close connections between our two countries. Yet it comes at a time when our own government is doing its best to stop us from crossing the Channel.
The Foreign Office - in its wisdom - still advises indefinitely against all but essential overseas travel. It effect, it deems it too dangerous for us to visit even this most safe and friendly of our neighbours, one of our favourite holiday destinations, a country which has a far lower incidence of Covid-19 than the UK and which can be reached either by train or by ferry or shuttle in the comfort and safety of your own car. Not only that but, extraordinarily, the FCO still says officially: “If you live in the UK and are currently visiting France, you’re strongly advised to return now by commercial means.”
And if we brave the FCO caution then we are condemned not only to two weeks of self-isolation when we get back, but two weeks of self-isolation on arrival. This is the tit-for-tat arrangement introduced by France when the UK announced its quarantine rules would apply to travellers returning from all countries.
Almost five million Britons visited the United States in 2019, to perennially popular cities such as New York, Boston, Los Angeles, Las Vegas and New Orleans, but also – thanks to more regular direct flights to smaller cities in recent years – a rising number to the likes of Nashville, Austin and Denver too.
In 2020, however, the picture is dramatically different. On March 14, the US closed its borders to all travellers arriving from Europe – including the UK – or anyone who had visited Europe in the past 14 days. The ban is still in place, along with visitors from China, Brazil and Iran.
Things are returning to normal in New York
But in spite of coronavirus rates continuing to climb in almost half of its states, the US is rapidly opening up to domestic tourism. It’s a complicated picture, as not only does each of the 50 states have its own reopening timeline, but each region and county does too, and what’s included in each phase of reopening also varies state to state.
Cuba has announced it will resume international tourism on July 1, with holidaymakers able to book as of today (June 18), according to a report in Cuban newspaper Escambray (in Spanish ).
Cuba
Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz said Cuba's all-inclusive resorts on Cayo Santa María, Cayo Coco, Cayo Guillermo, Cayo Cruz and Cayo Largo will be the first to open, served directly by charter flights from Europe and Canada.
Emmanuel Macron is expected to urge the UK to drop its 14-day travel quarantine policy as Boris Johnson raises the prospect of an air bridge with France this summer.
Mr Johnson is due to discuss travel across the English Channel when the French President arrives in London today to mark the 80th anniversary of Charles de Gaulle's historic broadcast to rally the French Resistance.
After meeting the Prince of Wales, President Macron is due to meet the Prime Minister in Downing Street for a 45-minute meeting.
Boris Johnson and Emmanuel Macron - Getty
Whilst the agenda has not been published, Mr Johnson said earlier this week he would "obviously" discuss the ability of French and British citizens to "travel freely to and from each other's countries".
Mr Macron is also said to be preparing to urge the UK to revisit its quarantine policy, which is widely loathed by Tory MPs and business leaders.
09:30 AM
Cornwall tourism suffers £630m lockdown loss
A council report published yesterday said it might take "many months, if not years" for the county to return to previous levels of growth.
The Cornwall economy has struggled during lockdown - Getty
It also suggested that more than 72,000 jobs could be at risk in Cornwall due to the pandemic – 27% of all jobs – of which 29,000 (40%) were in the accommodation or food service industries.
The report estimated that, by the end of June, Cornwall's economy will have seen a loss of £630m since lockdown began.
09:17 AM
Where will we travel this summer?
As the government holds talks with European countries, including France, Portugal and Greece, about bilateral travel agreements to exempt quarantine rules, we take a look at the runners and riders for an 'air bridge', which are due to be announced towards the end of next week.
Are ferries really the ‘safest form of public transport’?
Ferry company Stena Line has introduced new safety measures that ensure ferry travel is the "safest form of public transport".
The new measures include social distancing, 'fog machines', fresh sea air being circulated inside cabins, and the recommendation of wearing face coverings.
Stena Line - Getty
Chief executive Niclas Martensson said:
“Ferry travel is the only mode of transport where you can social distance, so it is no surprise that we are now seeing an increase in bookings due to the expected reduction in lockdown restrictions."
08:45 AM
London city airport to restart flights
London City is preparing to resume flights on Sunday June 21 and, according to a survey, their passengers are raring to go. It showed that:
79% are very likely or quite likely to travel once told it is safe to do so
42% plan to travel for leisure in the next three months
41% will take a flight for business in the next three months
London City prepares to reopen this weekend - Getty
CEO of London City Airport, Robert Sinclair, said:
“This clear early demand from our passengers to get back to flying is really encouraging. It shows a desire to not only enjoy a holiday soon after nearly three months of lockdown, but to get back to business travel as well. We have worked hard to create a safe environment at the airport, so they can get back to flying in confidence.
"At the same time, we have been careful not to sacrifice the speed through the airport which passengers have always valued and is now more important than ever, as these results show. We will also be making a number of announcements with our airline partners in the coming weeks which we hope passengers will be excited by”
08:13 AM
What did we learn yesterday?
BA has become the latest airline to ban booze (but only for economy passengers)
Norwegian is returning to the sky from July 1
Israel will reopen to tourists from August 1, with Greeks the first to be welcomed
Malta could welcome travellers in July after its flag carrier announced a major relaunch of routes
Jason Fitz and Frank Schwab join forces to recap the draft in the best way they know how: letter grades! Fitz and Frank discuss all 32 teams division by division as they give a snapshot of how fans should be feeling heading into the 2024 season. The duo have key debates on the Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, New Orleans Saints, Los Angeles Rams, New England Patriots, Las Vegas Raiders and more.
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