Japan reopens after two years: Time for that trip of a lifetime May 30, 2022 After two years of closure to tourists, Japan will welcome visitors from 10 June. Steve Hogarty takes a trip from Osaka into the ancient Japanese countryside. Osaka’s main entertainment district, Dotonbori is a kind of psychedelic, neon circus. Brilliant, colourful lights bounce off the glass-fronted buildings, and below they transform the surface of the canal [...]
On the Beach sales beat pre-pandemic levels as Brits grab suitcases and passports May 24, 2022 On the Beach saw sales soar in the first half of the year, up 322 per cent from 2021, and six per cent compared to pre-pandemic figures.
Travel chief warns online sales tax may hit tour operators and agencies hard May 23, 2022 The UK Government’s proposed tax on online sales could have a significant impact on travel businesses, according to accounting company RSM. The proposal, whose first consultation ended on Friday, is expected to level the playing field between physical and online retailers, as well as bringing down the cost of rentals. According to RSM UK’s head [...]
Business travel is back as card spending recovers from pandemic May 17, 2022 Business travel recovery is on its way back as card spending has recovered following the easing of Covid travel restrictions. According to American Express Global Business Travel (Amex GBT), in the last three weeks of April card spending reached 72 per cent of 2019 levels, going up 11 percentage points compared with the last week [...]
Summer holidays plans? Expect higher ticket prices and endless airport queues, warns Ryanair’s boss May 16, 2022 Ryanair chief executive Michael O’Leary warned this morning that flight prices will be higher this summer due to the high demand for European holiday destinations. He told BBC Radio 4’s Today Programme earlier today: ”I think capacity, generally, across the summer will be down 10 per cent, 15 per cent.” “Prices will be up by, [...]
Give visa flexibilty on short-term work stays, City lobby group demands May 12, 2022 DELAYS to visa approvals are holding back the capital, Britain’s top financial services lobby group warned yesterday. TheCityUK said that short-term visas that allow overseas workers to undertake short-term projects in London were facing delays of as long as 12 weeks to receive approval. The body said that post-Brexit rules had made the system more [...]
Londoner rushed to St Thomas hospital and put in isolation after catching extremely rare Monkeypox virus May 9, 2022 UKHSA has confirmed to City PM that a Londoner has been diagnosed with monkeypox. “The patient has a recent travel history from Nigeria, which is where they are believed to have contracted the infection, before travelling to the UK,” the agency wrote in an email. “The patient is receiving care at the expert infectious disease [...]
British Airways owner IAG predicts bounce back to profitability on return of global travel May 6, 2022 British Airways owner International Airlines Group (IAG) today said it believes the easing of global restrictions and the return of global travel will see it bounce back to profitability. The firm – formed through the merger of Iberia and British Airways in 2011 – said its Q1 2022 passenger numbers were 65 per cent those [...]
Portugal scraps EU’s strict Brexit rules and rolls out red immigration carpet for Brits with Spain and Italy likely to follow soon April 25, 2022 Portugal has confirmed it plans to ignore EU rules that require British nationals to be treated as third country citizens at border checks and immigration points. The southern European nation will become the first EU member state to allow UK passport holders to be fast-tracked through electronic passport gates, thereby receiving the same treatment as [...]
Power cuts, snow, ice and travel disruption across the UK as Storm Eunice takes over Britain February 17, 2022 The Met Office has issued an amber warning for strong winds covering central Scotland, parts of Northern Ireland and northern England above Hull over the evening, with yellow wind warnings in place as far south as Birmingham. The UK faced strong winds and heavy rain last night, causing power cuts and travel disruption with Storm [...]
