Holiday & Travel

P&O Cruises has said that anyone wanting to take its cruises around the British Isles this summer will need to be vaccinated first. Travellers will have to prove that they have had two coronavirus jabs to take the trips which depart from June.

Saga Cruises and Virgin Voyages in the US have made similar moves recently. It comes amid renewed fears about the damaged travel industry, with airports warning that summer 2020 passenger numbers were their lowest since 1975.

P&O Cruises, part of the Carnival group, will run trips on two ships this summer. The Britannia will cruise from Southampton along the south coast of England for three or four days, and the Iona will travel up to Scotland from Southampton for seven-day trips.

Carnival said that passengers wishing to board would have to have had both.

Guests will also have to have travel insurance that "must include medical and repatriation cover" and medical expenses related to Covid-19. Guests and crew will be expected to respect social distancing rules and wear masks when appropriate. Should anyone test positive on board, they will be isolated and quarantined.

Paul Ludlow, the president of P&O Cruises, said: “Carnival expected a government-approved way to prove people had been vaccinated by the summer.

"This is moving at pace," he said. "We anticipate by the 27 June, which is our first sailing, there will be a government-accredited scheme to prove your vaccination, but at the very least, then of course, a letter from your GP would suffice."

He said that P&O Cruises was "in close conversation with government every day" about travellers being able to prove their vaccination status.

"At the moment we're stipulating that all guests of all ages must be vaccinated to come on board with us."

Carnival follows Saga cruises, which said in January that all customers had to be vaccinated. British Airways also plans to let people register when they have had two vaccinations on a smartphone app. The cruise industry was brought to its knees after regulators around the world stopped ships from sailing to try to limit outbreaks.

There were a number of deaths from Covid-19 after people were infected on board Carnival ships early last year. The first UK citizen to die of coronavirus was infected on the Carnival-run Diamond Princess cruise ship in Japan. At the time, the outbreak on the ship was the largest outside mainland China, with more than 600 people infected.

Simon Calder, travel editor of the Independent, said: "A lot is unusual" about the "staycation" cruises P&O is planning.

"Because the voyages are 'cruises to nowhere', the captains will look at the weather forecast and aim to sail where it is warm and sunny." He added the P&O concept is "you can look but you can't touch".

"On a voyage around the Scottish islands, for example, Iona will anchor off Iona, the magical island after which she was named, but you can't step ashore," he said, adding: “Doing this circumvents all kinds of problems.

"There are concerns about shore excursions. Some ports of call may not welcome hundreds of people from a wide range of locations wandering around, and conversely some cruise lines do not want their passengers to mingle with locals - MSC Cruises has made it a condition of travel.” Carnival has been burning through cash and last quarter said it had made a net loss of $2.2bn.

Airport operators have also been on the ropes due to the coronavirus crisis. They said that passenger numbers travelling through UK airports last summer plunged to their lowest level since 1975. Airport Operators Association chief executive Karen Dee called for tailored government support.

She said: "Despite dealing with the biggest crisis in their history, most airports remain operational to support vital public services, such as Royal Mail, air ambulances, Coastguard and the National Police Air Service, as well as other critical services such as freight, including PPE and vaccines."  The Unite union also called for tailored support, saying that more than 5,100 UK aviation and related jobs have been lost every month since February 2020.

Unite assistant general secretary for transport Diana Holland said: "It has been heart-breaking to see so many UK jobs go in aviation when we know that demand will come back.

"A staggering number of workers in the sector are now unemployed but when we look across the Channel, we see that a different approach from governments actually saves these jobs.” The government has previously said that it has provided unprecedented support to businesses across sectors of the economy including aviation.

A spokesperson said that the government was committed to restarting cruise travel when it is safe to do so, and is working closely with the sector to prepare for a safe and successful restart.

The spokesperson said: "We have put in place an unprecedented package of business support and recently extended government-backed loans and furlough payments to businesses, including in the travel industry. Around £7bn has been pledged to the aviation sector since the start of the pandemic, and through the Global Travel Taskforce we are working hard to restart international travel when it is safe to do so."

A new study by travel insurance provider battleface reveals that Britsish people are willing to pay £22 per person on average for a PCR test (COVID test) before embarking on international travel. However, 33% said they would not be prepared to pay for a PCR test – either at home or at the airport - before travelling internationally.

As the prospect of international travel nears, many countries are requiring travellers to submit a negative PCR test result on arrival, taken within a certain time frame before travel. UK travellers are not permitted to use NHS tests for travel, except for freight drivers in certain circumstances. Private tests can cost £120 on the high street or over £200 at some clinics. Only 4% of those surveyed would be prepared to pay £75 or more for a PCR test, if it meant they could travel internationally, which is still considerably lower than the private PCR tests currently being offered to enable travel.

After almost 12 months together under lockdown restrictions, families should be looking forward to escaping to warmer climes and reunite with loved ones on holiday. However, 40% say they would not be willing pay for their family to have a PCR test to be able to travel.

The study of 2,000 UK adults was carried out between 5 and 9 March by Opinium Research on behalf of travel insurance provider battleface to look at the immediate motivators and barriers to international travel for 2021.

Sasha Gainullin, CEO, battleface comments: “It’s good news that the majority of travellers will be willing to take a COVID PCR test in order to go on holiday. That said, the current costs of PCR testing makes this option unviable for most travellers based on what they are prepared to spend on testing.

“Whilst vaccination passports and PCRs are expected to be the two key requirements for travel to restart, there is still a high degree of uncertainty which changes the risk profile for travel. The data shows that 23% are still prepared to travel without adequate medical cover, which is worrying given that a similar proportion of those asked (22%) said they have been caught out in fees when travelling without insurance.

“We urge travellers to check what the latest FCDO and destination entry requirements are before going away and, in addition to a PCR test or vaccine, ensure they have relevant and adequate travel insurance cover for the country they are travelling to.”

The St. Lucia Tourism Authority is planning a new series of virtual global roadshows for the travel trade in readiness for the easing of travel restrictions later this year.

Aimed at travel agents and reservation staff in the main source markets - the US, the UK and Canada - the three events come as vaccination programmes are underway and holidaymakers are looking ahead to when they can travel abroad again.

The global roadshows will be different from webinars as they go a step further in recreating a fam trip experience online. Participants will get a close-up perspective of Saint Lucia’s hotels, activities and landscape to show what makes it a compelling destination for visitors.

Hosted live by the sales team in Saint Lucia with market representatives on hand to answer questions and provide specific information, the roadshows are a fun and interactive way to update and inform agents who sell holidays in the Caribbean.

P&O Cruises has cancelled all international cruises on Arcadia, Aurora, Azura and Ventura until the end of August. Trips outside of the UK on Britannia and Iona have also been scrapped until the end of September.

P&O Cruises president, Paul Ludlow, said: “We remain in very close contact with the UK government and associated bodies as we monitor the latest situation and guidance on travel.

From the moment we see travel restrictions lifting we will begin the significant logistical task to restart our operations. It will take some time for the first ship to return to service, followed by the phased return of the remaining fleet.”

P&O Cruises will instead offer a series of short break and week-long UK cruises this summer.

The ex-UK trips will go on sale later in March.

The U.S. Travel Association praised the Thursday introduction of one of its major legislative priorities: a bill providing much-needed assistance to the devastated travel industry through numerous key incentive and relief measures.

The bipartisan Hospitality and Commerce Job Recovery Act provides stimulus needed to help bring back the millions of travel jobs lost to the pandemic. Specifically, the bill provides:

 A temporary business tax credit to revitalise business meetings, conferences and other structured events.

 A temporarily restored entertainment business expense deduction to help entertainment venues and performing arts centres recover.

 An individual tax credit to stimulate non-business travel.

 Tax relief for restaurants and food and beverage companies to help restore food service jobs and strengthen the entire American food supply chain.

The travel industry is by far the U.S. industry that has been hardest-hit by the COVID pandemic, losing half a trillion dollars in travel-related spending last year—10 times the negative economic impact of 9/11. Almost four in 10 U.S. jobs lost in 2020 are in the leisure and hospitality sector.

“The evidence is abundantly clear: there will not be a U.S. economic recovery without a travel recovery, and travel cannot recover without strong and innovative policy assistance,” said U.S. Travel Association President and CEO Roger Dow. “Even with the ray of hope provided by vaccines, it is unclear when travel demand will be able to rebound in earnest.

This bill contains critical provisions to assist in rebuilding this crucial but suffering American industry.”

U.S. Travel is leading a campaign to secure support for the Hospitality and Commerce Job Recovery Act, submitting a letter to Capitol Hill signed by more than 80 major travel-related companies and organizations.

The principal sponsors of the Hospitality and Commerce Job Recovery Act are Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) and Kevin Cramer (R-ND), and Reps. Steven Horsford (D-NV), Darin LaHood (R-IL), Tom Rice (R-SC) and Jimmy Panetta (D-CA).

The U.S. Travel Association on Friday announced the election of Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line, as its new national chair. Duffy, who most recently served on the board as first vice chair, will lead an executive committee and board representing a diverse cross-section of travel business sectors.

“We’re very pleased to welcome Christine as national chair of U.S. Travel, not only for her deep experience operating successful travel businesses, but also for the talent and savvy she will bring to helping restore one of America’s largest industry sectors following steep losses associated with the global pandemic,” said U.S. Travel Association President and CEO Roger Dow.

“There has never been a more critical time for the travel industry to come together to effect change and drive a financial recovery. If nothing else, the past year has demonstrated the economic power of the travel sector, as well as the affinity Americans have for the social, intellectual, relaxation and joyful benefits of travel,” said Duffy. “I look forward to working with the great leaders of the travel and tourism industry to chart a path to a new level of success.”

Duffy joined Carnival Cruise Line, the flagship brand of Miami-based global cruise industry leader Carnival Corp., in 2015 after serving as president and CEO of the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA). She has also served as president and CEO of Maritz Travel Company. As president of Carnival Cruise Line, Duffy oversees a company that sails a fleet of 24 ships, annually hosts nearly six million guests and employs more than 43,000 people from 110 nations around the globe. Duffy is the first woman to serve as president of Carnival Cruise Line.

Duffy sits on the corporate boards of directors of Aimbridge Hospitality, the global leader in hotel management services, and Herschend Family Entertainment, the nation’s largest family-owned operator of themed attractions, including Dollywood and Branson’s Silver Dollar City. She sits on the Professional Advisory Board of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital of which Carnival Cruise Line is the official celebration partner. Duffy is also a member of The Committee of 200, an organization of the world’s most successful women business leaders that supports, celebrates and advances women’s leadership. She was recently named by Women Leading Travel & Hospitality as one of its top women in travel and hospitality.

Duffy succeeds Destination DC President and CEO Elliott L. Ferguson, II, whose term as chair has concluded.

National carrier Kenya Airways has announced the resumption of its cargo services to New Delhi. The first cargo flight to resume from New Delhi has already landed at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, carrying pharmaceuticals, machinery and general merchandise from New Delhi.

Kenya Airways Cargo Director Dick Murianki said the weekly service will also serve to support Kenya’s intra-African export market and provide a welcome lifeline to many local businesses reliant on overseas markets. Murianki noted that KQ Cargo has rapidly scaled up its cargo services in an effort to address the growing need for air freight across the continent and will be connecting the ever-increasing number of international markets to help maintain and replenish essential supplies.

In a statement he said: “The resumption of direct weekly cargo flights from Nairobi to New Delhi, is an indication of the integral part KQ plays in providing logistics solutions to our customers based on our robust world class handling infrastructure and strong network footprint in Africa."  Key items to be uplifted from India include pharmaceutical and medical products, machinery, sports goods and general cargo.

The Cargo director added, "Cargo will continue to offer seamless connections in India to Nairobi, and the rest of Africa, including destinations such as Accra, Ghana; Lagos, Nigeria; and Lilongwe, Malawi".

From the need for enhanced political engagement to developing relevant expertise, the World Tourism Organization, jointly with the Caribbean Tourism Organization, have united their members in the Caribbean to address the key challenges they face in making effective use of statistics to drive the restart of their tourism sectors.

Over the course of two days, a regional virtual workshop analysed the importance of tourism data for supporting the sector in the present and helping tourism to restart in the Caribbean in a timely and sustainable manner. The workshop brought together around 130 participants from 23 States, including the leaders of National Tourism Administrations, National Statistical Offices, Central Banks and Migration authorities. 

The high-level status of participants ensures that they will in turn spread UNWTO’s technical expertise within their own countries, empowering more tourism professionals with knowledge of how best to analyse and use data to guide decisions. Through the sessions, the Caribbean tourism community got a better understanding of the fundamentals of tourism statistics. They were also given an overview of UNWTO’s Tourism Satellite Account (TSA) data, as well as guidance on how this can be used to guide decision-making. 

Welcoming UNWTO’s technical assistance, Neil Walters, Acting Secretary General of the Caribbean Tourism Organization said: “We recognize the importance of data and statistics in the development of COVID-19 recovery programs and comprehensive sustainable tourism strategies. We thank the UNWTO for supporting our efforts at capacity building in tourism statistics analysis and reporting in the Caribbean.”

The workshop also emphasized the relevance of tourism statistics, both for informing the sector’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic but also, looking ahead, for its role in guiding sustainable development across the Caribbean region. As with every other global region, the crisis has hit the Caribbean hard. 

According to the latest UNWTO data, Caribbean destinations experienced a 67% fall in international tourist arrivals in 2020 compared to the previous year. Given the reliance of many destinations on the sector, this has placed large numbers of livelihoods and businesses at risk and makes the timely restart of tourism vital.

The U.S. Virgin Islands will welcome new flights from the New York tri-state area this summer when JetBlue Airways begins service between Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) and Cyril E. King Airport (STT) on St. Thomas. JetBlue announced the new flights will operate four times a week, beginning July 1, 2021.

According to the airline, the new service in operation is a result of a new Northeast Alliance with American Airlines, which will see JetBlue add more than a dozen new markets in greater New York City with new destinations offered from both LaGuardia Airport (LGA) and EWR.The routes, which include Newark to St. Thomas, help to strengthen JetBlue’s position as a dominant airline player in the New York market.

JetBlue and American Airlines recently announced the launch of the first phase of their new alliance, which is aimed at bringing customers more competitive choices in New York and Boston. The two airlines are introducing 33 new routes as part of the initial phase.

This spring, members of JetBlue’s TrueBlue and American’s AAdvantage loyalty programs will be able to enjoy reciprocal benefits, starting with the ability to earn points or miles on either carrier, enhancing the value of both programs.

“The northeast United States market is critically important to our tourism sector and our Virgin Islands communities in the Diaspora,” said Joseph Boschulte, Commissioner of Tourism for the U.S. Virgin Islands, who welcomed the new flights ahead of an expected busy summer travel season. The Commissioner affirmed demand for the U.S. Virgin Islands continues to be strong as airlines introduce new service and increase their flight frequency.

Frontier Airlines have launched new service between Orlando and St. Thomas, and will start Miami-St. Thomas flights this month. The winter season also brought new flights connecting St. Thomas with Minneapolis-St. Paul by both Sun Country Airlines and Delta Air Lines. Late last year, St. Thomas welcomed new service from New York with JetBlue Airways, which currently serves the island with nonstop flights from Boston and San Juan.

Leaders of several major U.S. airlines met online Friday with White House officials to press their case against requiring coronavirus tests for passengers on domestic flights, saying it would undermine the already fragile industry.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki downplayed speculation that the Biden administration could soon impose a requirement that passengers on domestic flights first pass a COVID-19 test. But she stopped short of taking the idea off the table. A person familiar with the discussions said the airline CEOs talked with White House coronavirus-response coordinator Jeff Zients, according to the person, who spoke anonymously to discuss a private meeting.

The CEOs of American, United, Southwest, Alaska and JetBlue all took part in the meeting, according to industry officials. The meeting was arranged after Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, said that a testing requirement before domestic flights was under consideration.

Since late January, the CDC has required that international travellers show a negative COVID-19 test or recovery from the virus before they board a flight to the U.S. The airline industry generally supports that rule, believing that testing could eventually replace tougher international travel restrictions, such as quarantines.

Airlines reacted with alarm, however, when CDC officials raised the possibility of testing larger numbers of passengers on domestic flights. Airlines officials say that would further devastate air travel, which has still not returned even to half its pre-pandemic level. They worry that the additional cost of a test would discourage people from taking shorter trips.

The airlines also argue that there isn’t enough testing capacity to test every passenger. More than 1 million people went through checkpoints at U.S. airports in one recent day, according to figures from the Transportation Security Administration. They also say that requiring people to take a coronavirus test before flights would cause more people to drive — merely shifting the risk of spreading the virus from planes to cars.

Airline unions have joined the push against testing domestic passengers. The Southwest Airlines pilots’ union said a testing mandate “would decimate domestic air travel demand, put aviation jobs at risk, and create serious unintended consequences.”

The Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA) has warned that the region’s economic survival is in “serious jeopardy” as the tourism-dependent economies struggle with the consequences of the pandemic and travel restrictions being imposed and considered by its most popular countries of origin for travel. CHTA welcomed the new United States administration’s balanced international travel measures, which call for returning travellers and those entering the United States to show proof of receiving a negative antigen or PCR test while not mandating quarantines but recommending self-isolation upon returning.

The organization, whose membership includes 33 of the region’s national hotel and tourism associations, expressed its appreciation and concerns in a letter to President Joseph Biden and US government officials last week in response to the administration’s call for input on international travel protocols as part of an Executive Order on the matter. In throwing its support behind requiring travellers entering the US to show proof of a negative antigen test within 72 hours of travel, CHTA cautioned against the imposition of mandatory PCR tests for travellers returning to or entering the US from the Caribbean highlighting the stringent virus containment measures already in place within the region and the region’s challenges in administering a much larger number of PCR tests.

The organization said that should this become a new requirement, it would “severely strain the current testing capacity of many Caribbean jurisdictions” citing the availability, costs and processing time as essentially rendering much of the region unable to meet local and US traveller testing demand. CHTA noted that, in recent weeks, the region has moved aggressively to increase its capacity to administer PCR and antigen tests as it aims to meet local demand and adhere to new testing requirements for travelers and returning residents to its key source markets.

The organization indicated should this be put in place it would be devastating to the region’s economic health and also have further ramifications on the US economy. CHTA cited the “inextricable link between the economies of the Caribbean and the United States, and Florida, in particular, which provides many of the goods and services supportive of travel to the Caribbean.

 For the first time in nearly 40 years, Caribbean Travel Marketplace, the premier annual gathering where Caribbean hospitality and tourism professionals meet with regional colleagues and international buyers and sellers, will be staged virtually.

The marketing event, now in its 39th edition, is traditionally held during January, but due to the impact of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on travel and in-person events, the event will take place in an online environment from May 11-14, 2021.

Vanessa Ledesma, acting Director General and CEO of the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA), which hosts the annual gathering, confirmed that Marketplace organizers are crafting an agenda that will allow participants more time to engage with tour operators, travel advisors, partners, trade and consumer media and influencers, to network, showcase and sell their destinations and services.

Although not meeting face-to-face is a major change for CHTA’s marquis event, Ledesma is confident that participating in what has become one of the region’s most highly anticipated travel, tourism and hospitality events will deliver countless benefits to attendees. “This virtual edition of Marketplace provides access to the world with no restrictions, and opens the event to a broader audience as the logistics of travel are removed, thereby facilitating further connectivity and networking,” she said, encouraging would-be participants to take full advantage of the robust line-up of events and offerings.

Major destination partnership opportunities are also being developed: “There will be pre-Marketplace components that will help global buyers to gain a better understanding of the destinations and suppliers, and to receive briefings on entry requirements and safety protocols,” advised Ledesma.

In its virtual format, Caribbean Travel Marketplace, which typically lasts for just over two days, will be presented over the course of four days in May. According to Ledesma: “It’s longer than usual because the online format allows us to incorporate supplemental elements without impacting the core buying and selling appointments.”

In preparing for its inaugural online format, the Caribbean Travel Marketplace task force reviewed feedback from attendees of previous Marketplace events and analyzed other virtual events to incorporate best practices. The show will seek to maximize attendees’ time and avoid long hours spent in front of a computer screen. Events will be scheduled to accommodate the participation of delegates located in multiple time zones, and will allow for more than one representative per company at pre-scheduled appointments.

“We are excited about the opportunity to develop and execute an event that is representative of our diverse culture and legendary hospitality. Caribbean Travel Marketplace has been a groundbreaker in its 39 years, having held some of the most iconic and memorable events in the region. We are ready to showcase the region and our diverse product offerings to the world virtually,” Ledesma noted.

She also confirmed the launch of “CHTA: Forward Together”, the association’s membership drive, which highlights the myriad benefits of membership in the organization that represents and promotes the interests of the private sector of the most significant economic driver in the Caribbean.

The Forward Together campaign highlights the association’s powerful advocacy, its hallmark Caribbean Travel Marketplace, the Resilience Series, Caribbean Hospitality Industry Exchange Forum (CHIEF), Taste of the Caribbean, and Health Training Series.

To solidify Nevis’ position as the definitive “Island of Love,” the Nevis Tourism Authority (NTA) has introduced a specialty cocktail with aphrodisiac properties for Valentine’s Day.

Inspired by Aphrodite, the ancient Greek goddess of love, beauty, and fertility, the Nevisan Kiss was conceived by the award-winning Nevisian mixologist, Mr. Kremour Maloney. Mr. Maloney says: “Aphrodite was also Cupid’s mother, the symbol of Valentine’s love and passion, and she was acclaimed to have given us the gift of pleasure and the power of seduction, all elements that stir those lustful feelings that are captured in her namesake, Aphrodisiac, and we deliver in the Nevisian Kiss.”

Aromatic and spiced, the Nevisian Kiss contains three magical elixirs with aphrodisiac qualities that have been used through the ages: Cinnamon for blood flow and sexual libido; Ginger to increase body heat and a heightened heart rate; and Nutmeg, reputed to be “Viagra for Women,” also raises body heat, sweetens breath, and acts as an all-round stimulant. The foundation of the Nevisian Kiss is the Nevisian rum, Captain Nils Viking Rum, and combined these ingredients are brewed to make a potent mix. 

The recipe for the Nevisian Kiss is a blend of 1.5 oz. Captain Nils Viking Rum, 1.0 oz. fresh lime juice, 1.0 oz. cinnamon infused simple syrup, 0.75 oz. apple juice, 2 slices of ginger root, and finished with a garnish of fresh grated nutmeg. To ensure you have your Nevisian Kiss blended to perfection, Mr. Maloney will host a demonstration via a live stream on @NevisNaturally, the handle for Instagram on Sunday, February 14, at 1 pm AST (12:00 pm EST).

“Nevis, The Island of Love,” is renowned as a destination for all things romance: engagements, weddings, and romantic holidays. This Valentine’s Day, Nevis wants to assist you in declaring your love to your significant other in grand style by illuminating your commitment on the NTA’s social media platforms.  To be featured, all it requires for your participation is to share your love story, titled “Nevis Love Story” with their social media handles for the NTA and they will create a personalized image in your honour.

On receipt of any story, the NTA will create a “Sandy Love” graphic by drawing a heart on a pristine beach, lapped by the warm Caribbean waters, and take photos of the images.  The graphic will feature the names of the lovers that submitted a “Nevis Love Story” with their social media handles tagged, and on Valentine’s Day, the tagged images will be posted on the NTA’s social media platforms and shared to all their followers. Participants are encouraged to share their love story with the world by reposting this virtual symbol to celebrate their love, sealing their commitment with a Nevisian Kiss.

Nevis is part of the Federation of St. Kitts & Nevis and is located in the Leeward Islands of the West Indies. Conical in shape with a volcanic peak at its center known as Nevis Peak, the island is the birthplace of the founding father of the United States, Alexander Hamilton. 

Eastern Airways is to serve the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar from Birmingham Airport starting from May 28, marking the return of Eastern Airways to the airport and the return of the route. The airline will start by re-connecting the Midlands with the popular destination located on the Iberian Peninsula, twice weekly on a Monday and Friday.

As the UK’s second largest city, Birmingham will be linked again to Gibraltar after a four year hiatus to provide connectivity for both the business and leisure markets. Southampton to Gibraltar has also been announced simultaneously. The service will be operated on the airline’s Embraer 190 e-Jet fleet with fares starting from £74.99 one-way, including taxes and a 15kg hold baggage allowance as standard. Flights are now available to book at www.easternairways.com

Roger Hage, GM for Eastern Airways, said: “This marks a major development in the network Eastern Airways offer as our first regular scheduled service to the Mediterranean peninsula adjoining Spain. With a quality array of hotels, beaches, water-sports and heritage, this UK territory offers an exciting short-break destination aside from its role in UK business, notably financial services and maritime. With easy access to the south-coast of Spain also a benefit, working together with HM Government of Gibraltar has enabled this to be the first service to be announced, supporting UK regional airports and their role in direct European connectivity.”

Minister for Business, Tourism, Transport and the Port of Her Majesty’s Government of Gibraltar the Hon Vijay Daryanani MP said: “I stated recently that I would be able to announce the addition of another airline with services to Gibraltar and therefore it gives me great pleasure to make the announcement on Eastern Airways today. The airline will be operating services to Gibraltar from Southampton Airport and Birmingham Airport in the UK.

“The services to Southampton open up a new catchment area for Gibraltar and the resumption of services from Birmingham will be welcomed by many. In these challenging times, these new routes will create further opportunities for business and leisure traffic to Gibraltar. The news will no doubt be welcomed and embraced by the local business community and the tourism, retail and hospitality industries.

“The Government continues to work, planning for the brighter future that will come after this pandemic. Work to ensure that tourism recovers and flourishes after this pandemic does not stop. This Government is delivering air services for Gibraltar in an unprecedented manner and is committed to adding further routes and more carriers in due course.”

Tom Screen, Aviation Director for Birmingham Airport said: "It is great news that Eastern Airways is back at Birmingham offering customers the chance to fly direct to Gibraltar again, this route has been un-served from Birmingham since 2017. Gibraltar is a popular destination to our leisure customers, for a sunny getaway, but also an important business route providing access to this British territory.

“We believe that this route will be a sign of things to come as they develop their network further. Both Birmingham Airport and Eastern Airways have a fully enhanced cleaning structure in place and can reassure customers that their safety if is of paramount importance.” Eastern Airways’ services have been carefully reintroduced, aligned to changes in Covid-19 restrictions, with extensive cleaning measures on-board and throughout all aspects of the airport for the safety of all passengers.

The U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Tourism is on a mission to educate travellers that the Territory is an American overseas territory, and as such, travel to St. Croix, St. John, St. Thomas or Water Island is within the United States’ domestic jurisdiction. Though not part of the contiguous United States, travel to the USVI does not require a passport from U.S. citizens arriving from Puerto Rico or the U.S. mainland. 

“We, too, are American,” reminded Commissioner Joseph Boschulte as he and his team work around the clock to clarify misunderstanding of recent Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) travel requirements related to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic for all air passengers arriving in the United States.

“The new requirements do not apply to persons traveling or returning directly from the U.S. Virgin Islands to the U.S. mainland,” he said. However, passengers traveling by air from St. Maarten or the British Virgin Islands, for example, are subject to the CDC’s three-day testing requirement “because they are coming from a foreign country and their first point of entry into the United States is either St. Thomas or St. Croix.”

“But if you are leaving St. Thomas or St. Croix and you are heading to or returning to the U.S. mainland, the U.S. Virgin Islands does not require passengers to test,” said the Commissioner, who explained that the USVI’s testing requirements are for domestic travel to the Territory, for example, from Miami to St. Croix, or from Dallas to St. Thomas.

All travellers five years of age or older must use the Travel Screening Portal at usvitravelportal.com to submit the required COVID-19 test result prior to traveling to the Territory. Travellers are required to provide evidence of a negative a COVID-19 molecular or antigen test result taken within five days of commencement of travel to the Territory or a positive antibody result received within four months of commencement of travel to the Territory.

Despite the downturn in leisure travel since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, thousands of Americans continue to visit the islands, arriving by air and sea, validating findings by both Squaremouth.com and KAYAK, of an increase in demand for travel to the U.S. Virgin Islands. 

“Due to COVID-19, there are more travel protocols and restrictions in place now than ever before, and we realize that travellers may be overwhelmed and confused by the different requirements established by local, state or national authorities,” said Commissioner Boschulte. “Our team is here to help,” he offered, advising travellers to visit usviupdate.com for more details, and to check with their intended destination or state of residence concerning specific COVID-19-related travel requirements for arriving there.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson says he is "optimistic" people will be able to have summer holidays this year - but it depends on certain things going well. When asked about tourism in the UK, he said he did not want to give "concrete" dates for such trips but would set out more details on February 22. The success of the vaccine rollout and level of Covid cases would be factors taken into consideration, he added.

Nearly 10 million people in the UK have had their first dose of a vaccine - which has been offered to all older residents at eligible care homes in England, the NHS announced - an achievement Mr Johnson described as a "crucial milestone".

The government is aiming to offer all care home residents and carers, people over 70 and frontline care workers a vaccination by mid-February. Figures released on Monday show a further 18,607 Covid cases have been recorded. There have also been a further 406 deaths within 28 days of a positive test.

The prime minister, speaking during a visit to Batley, West Yorkshire, said: "I don't want to give too much concrete by way of dates for our summer holidays. I am optimistic - I understand the reasons for being optimistic - but some things have got to go right. The vaccine programme has got to continue to be successful.

"We have got to make sure we don't get thrown off course by new variants, we have got to make sure that we continue to keep the disease under control and the level of infections come down." He added that once he gives more details in the last week of February "people should certainly be able to plan on that basis".

His comments come after Health Secretary Matt Hancock predicted "a happy and free Great British summer". Meanwhile, the government has announced it is to carry out urgent door-to-door testing in parts of England for a new variant of coronavirus originally identified in South Africa, after cases were found with no known links to travel or previous cases.

All of the UK is currently under a lockdown, with people only allowed to travel abroad for essential purposes; such as work that cannot be done from home, medical appointments or educational reasons. These are the same "reasonable excuses" that apply to domestic travel.

Mr Johnson said there were signs the lockdown measures were working but it was too early to "take your foot off the throat of the beast" by easing restrictions. "We are starting to see some signs of a flattening and maybe even a falling off of infection rates and hospitalisations," he said. "But don't forget that they are still at a very high level by comparison with most points in the last 12 months, a really very high level."

Rules around international travel were tightened last month, meaning all travellers must self-isolate for 10 days when they return to the UK, while people returning to England from high-risk countries will have to quarantine in government-provided hotels. People leaving England will soon have to make a declaration on why they need to travel, which will be checked by carriers prior to departure, Home Secretary Priti Patel has announced.

Some UK holiday providers have since reported a boom in domestic bookings for this summer. The boss of Ryanair, Michael O'Leary, said he is expecting "a strong return" for European beach holidays this summer thanks to the vaccination programme.