Travel UK news live: latest greenlist updates as amber watchlist removed

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The government has abandoned plans for an “orange watch list” category of countries under the UK’s international travel rules.

The ministers had considered the new category for countries at risk of moving from the amber list to the red list under the traffic light system.

However, government sources confirmed last night that there would be “no orange watch list”, following reactions from some Conservative MPs, ministers and the travel industry.

Earlier on Monday, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he wanted the travel industry to “move again” and keep a simple and “user-friendly” rules system.

Meanwhile, the government appears poised to drop red list rules for passengers passing through certain airport hubs. The exemption would apply to travelers who remain airside at “travel hubs” such as Dubai and Bahrain, provided they do not physically enter the red list country.

A government source said The telegraph: “We are close to a deal and it will be announced in the next week or so.”

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Qantas to lay off 2,500 employees

The Australian group Qantas has announced that it will lay off 2,500 employees due to a drop in domestic flights.

Sydney and Brisbane, Australia’s largest and third largest cities, respectively, are stranded due to the growth of the Delta variant clusters.

The airline’s chief executive, Alan Joyce, said on Tuesday that 2,500 employees of Qantas Airways and budget subsidiary Jetstar would be on leave for an estimated two months.

The carriers employ 26,000 people in Australia.

Mr Joyce said that based on the current daily counts of new infections, “it is reasonable to assume that Sydney’s borders will be closed for at least two more months.”

Additional reports by agencies

Helene coffeyAug 3, 2021 10:42 AM

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Where can you go on vacation if you are not fully immunized?

Many countries around the world have introduced regulations that allow entry only to fully vaccinated travelers.

All adults in the UK are now eligible for the vaccination, although the eight week delay between the first and second dose means it is likely to be the end of October before everyone over 18 is fully vaccinated – too late for summer vacation, in other words.

A number of European countries have said unvaccinated travelers from the UK would be welcome, provided (in most cases) they can show a negative PCR test result.

Read our full story on where to go if you’re not double-bitten yet:

Helene coffeyAug 3, 2021 10:19 AM

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Holidaymakers left in the dark about international travel rules

After days of leaks and government briefings on international travel rules, vacationers were urged to wait Thursday for clarity.

Skills Minister Gillian Keegan said Sky News that the secretary of transport, Grant Shapps, “will explain more about what is happening with ‘amber plus’ and also with France in particular”.

Ms Keegan said: “I know there has been a lot of speculation in the press about what the system will be and we have obviously explored a lot of options.

“But yes, what we want to do is keep it simple enough that people really understand and obviously be able to make their own decisions based on the system.”

Simon calderAug 3, 2021 9:54 AM

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A quarter of Britons now consider ‘freedom vacations’ abroad

One in four Britons (25%) now plan to go abroad for a “freedom vacation” this summer, against 20% at the end of June, according to a new study.

An investigation commissioned by the Covid Project Screen by Prenetics testing service found that around 17 million people are now ready to go abroad for a break this summer, an additional three and a half million people since the end of June.

Another 10%, equivalent to 6.8 million Britons, say they would be more likely to go abroad if the government made Covid testing cheaper by removing VAT.

Avi Lasarow, CEO EMEA of Project Screen by Prenetics, said: “After a year of stalemate, Britons deserve a vacation of freedom abroad. But they need to travel safer and cheaper, and maintaining VAT on Holiday Covid testing is an unfair and regressive stealth tax on overseas travel. It also penalizes those who have not been overtaken.

“Our research shows that if the government removed VAT, it would not only pay for the flights of a family of four traveling to Mallorca, it would help more people travel on board and give a much needed boost to the airline. UK travel industry. “

Helene coffeyAug 3, 2021 9:33 AM

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The number of foreign tourists in Spain increases tenfold

The number of foreign tourists visiting Spain rose to 2.2 million in June, almost ten times more than in 2020, according to official statistics released on Tuesday.

Tourists spent a total of 2.42 billion euros, up from around 133.9 million euros last June, but still 75% less than in June 2019, before the pandemic, when some 8.8 million many people had visited Spain.

Helene coffeyAug 3, 2021 9:11 AM

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Hello and welcome to another busy day on the live travel blog.

Helene coffeyAug 3, 2021 9:07 AM

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We are now wrapping up our live coverage of today’s travel news. Thanks for following.

Lamiat SabinAug 3, 2021 12:07 AM

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Forest fires destroy towns on Mediterranean and Aegean coasts

Turkish resorts and beaches have been evacuated after forest fires ravaged the country’s southern coast.

Eight people were killed and more than 10,000 were evacuated.

Nearly 120 fires broke out in 32 cities, most of which were brought under control.

Turkish officials said seven cities of Marmaris, Manavgat and Bodrum – popular tourist destinations – were still on fire.

Forest fires have also devastated parts of Croatia, Greece and Italy.

Lamiat SabinAug 2, 2021 11:54 PM

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Amber watchlist removed as travel advisory body “rudderless”

Some front pages of tomorrow’s newspapers focus on the fact that the government has abandoned its “orange watch list” project.

The decision to drop the idea, which was to be part of his broader Covid travel restrictions plan, came after the head of the Joint Biosecurity Center, a body that advises on travel rules, resigned his role – according to reports.

The organization set up by Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been left ‘without ruddling’ by the departure of former spy Clare Gardiner as chief executive with no successor in place to take the helm – according to the front page of The Guardian.

His contact details had been removed from the organization’s website in mid-June, the newspaper added.

The health and social affairs ministry said interim measures are in place and recruitment for his replacement is at an advanced stage.

Lamiat SabinAug 2, 2021 11:18 PM

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easyJet to see return of “up to 60%” of pre-pandemic flights

easyJet expects to see the return of more than half of its pre-pandemic flights this summer.

Johan Lundgren, CEO of the British airline, said it was “the most difficult decision” to bring its entire fleet of more than 300 of its planes to a standstill for around three months last year.

He said he thought canceling all flights was the right choice – even though the company was expecting a “record year” in 2020, he told the news site of the Simple Flying airline.

This summer, easyJet expects to “be up to 60% of 2019 flights,” Lundgren said, in part focusing only on profitable routes.

Last month, easyJet was “the only” low-cost airline that said it had cut operating losses, he said.

Lamiat SabinAug 2, 2021 10:20 PM

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