While the updates were broadly welcomed by most news outlets, there was extensive coverage of the decidedly more downbeat industry reaction to the latest changes, with several travel leaders calling for a less cautious approach from government in the light of the vaccine programme success.
There was also assessment of the impact of scrapping France’s "amber plus" status and introducing new pre-departure testing "advice" for Spain, and what this will mean for consumer confidence.
There are all the latest travel headlines making the national press on Thursday (5 August).
New measures ‘further dent confidence in travel’
Industry figures have criticised the new advice on Spain as another way of deterring people from holidaying there. However, opening Qatar and Dubai’s hubs to transit passengers was described as “a gamechanger” with the winter season approaching. (The Times)
August booking surge for France expected
France is expected to see a spike in bookings from the UK following the axing of a requirement to quarantine. More than four million Britons normally take a holiday in France during August. (The Telegraph)
Spain reigns again
Families can holiday in Spain again, but there is confusion about which Covid test to take on their return. The advice to take an expensive PCR test on return is not law and many will refuse to do so. (The Sun)
Tourism leaders call for quicker reopening
The government must make faster progress in opening up international travel, industry leaders have warned. Abta said Boris Johnson was “failing to capitalise” on the vaccine rollout. (The Standard)
Cabinet split over amber watchlist
An internal battle in cabinet saw a proposed “amber watchlist” of countries which could have been moved onto red status with little or no notice ditched. The list would have included Spain, sources say. (The Independent)
