Latest travel news: Police issue 14 fines to people for trying to leave the UK

The biggest stories of the day were...

• UK signs a bilateral Air Services Agreement with the US, to come in after Brexit
• British Airways launches transatlantic testing trial
• Major ski chalet operator VIP Ski ceases trading
• Esprit Ski will not run any ski holidays this winter due to “operational challenges”
• Norwegian files for bankruptcy protection

We'll be back first thing tomorrow with all the latest travel news. 

Holidays can boost our emotional and mental wellbeing; coronavirus and lockdowns have had the opposite effect. Take, for example, findings by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) that one in eight adults have developed moderate to severe depressive symptoms during the pandemic. 

A break from work, of course, need not mean travelling to far-flung places – indeed, throughout the last eight months our options have been severely curtailed, and once again we’re currently limited to ‘essential’ journeys. 

Throughout this pandemic, the Britons worst affected by Covid rules and accompanying health advice have been those over 70 or with underlying conditions. Early on in the crisis, it was suggested that people in their seventies could face months in self-isolation and health secretary Matt Hancock said older people would be “shielded for their own protection.”

This advice may have been updated, but, for many, the fear it instilled remains: the older you are, the more you’re considered to be at risk should you contract Covid.

However, a cohort of keen older travellers is refusing to let such concerns dampen their desire to explore. According to Abta’s latest consumer study, some 35 per cent of people over 65 said they would spend more on their holidays next year (compared to 29 per cent for all age groups).

Emma Featherstone has the full story.

Carnival Cruise Line is the latest in the industry to extend its suspension of sailings to the end of January. Cruises from some ports will not return until March at the earliest.

Travel Weekly reported that Carnival has said it is in the process of building “a gradual, phased in approach to resume guest operations”, which will focus initially on Miami and Port Canaveral, to be followed by Galveston.

Preferred Hotel Group today announced the launch of Beyond Green. Its new sustainable hotel brand debuts with a global portfolio of 24 founding member hotels, resorts, and lodges that exemplify sustainable tourism leadership. 

Beyond Green brings together forward-thinking  properties around the world that are committed to delivering on the three key pillars of sustainable tourism: environmentally friendly practices that go beyond the basics; protection of natural and cultural heritage; and contributing to the social and economic wellbeing of local communities. The name itself –  Beyond Green – was chosen in recognition of not only the immense importance of environmentally friendly practices, but also the paramount responsibility that the travel and tourism industry has towards protecting biodiversity, preserving cultural heritage, and improving local people’s livelihoods in travel destinations around the world, all while delivering an enjoyable and meaningful traveller experience.

“Never before has there been a greater need to promote a kinder and gentler way to explore our beautiful, yet fragile planet. Driven by our brand promise, Believe in Travel, which guides every decision we make as a company, we believe that now is the time to go big and be bold as we look to the future of travel,” said Lindsey Ueberroth, CEO of Preferred Hotel Group, Inc. “We are humbled by the opportunity to partner with so many inspiring leaders in sustainable tourism to launch our newest brand, Beyond Green, that was built with purpose, gratitude, and respect for nature, communities, and culture.”

The airline Norwegian has filed for bankruptcy protection as it scrambles to secure a rescue.

The budget long-haul carrier said the court process could allow the company to restructure debts, sell planes and find new funding.

Norwegian elected to file proceedings in Ireland as its aircraft are held in the country.

Chief executive Jacob Schram said: “Seeking protection to reorganise under Irish law is a decision that we have taken to secure the future of Norwegian for the benefit of our employees, customers and investors. 

“Our aim is to find solutions with our stakeholders that will allow us to emerge as a financially stronger and secure airline.”

Read more.

With a second ‘lockdown to save Christmas’ now in force, it’s easy to feel like the festive season is a million years away. But the small matter of a pandemic won’t stop Britain celebrating, even throughout a national lockdown.

While this year’s Christmas lights switch-on events have been blown out of the water, with the usual fanfare around the UK’s festive hotspots largely cancelled, there will still be fantastic illuminations across the country. 

Lottie Gross rounds up the best.

Robert Fenwick Elliott sounds off about Australia's lockdown, saying:

South Australia is going into full lockdown as of midnight tonight.

This is the response to the latest “surge” in the disease, a cluster of 22 Covid-19 cases in Adelaide. Two new cases – just two – were diagnosed in the State today. There are no reports that either have any symptoms, or are actually ill.

In addition, another two people are in hospital having tested positive recently. Just two. Neither is in intensive care. But hey mate, hospital is hospital! No one has died recently, but in total since January, four people in South Australia have lost their lives to Covid. In an average year, this State registers about 13,500 deaths.

Read more.

Talks of a lockdown extension, or "strengthened tiers", have cast a shadow over our December and Christmas holiday plans.

Find a run-down of how things could play out in the coming weeks here.

The fourth season of The Crown made its way onto screens on November 15 like a returning hero, arriving just in time for the UK’s second lockdown. 

With Prince Charles and Diana now leading the plot, flitting between a glut of beautiful destinations, it's safe to say the nation is gripped. And the good news is that once travel resumes it will be eminently possible to visit the many glorious backdrops seen in the series.

Discover them all here.

While much of Europe is adding restrictions, the rest of the world is slowly opening up to tourists – including those from Britain.

You can find out which nations in North, South and Central America are welcoming UK travellers and the rules on entry here.

Young billionaires are driving up demand in the second-hand market for private jets, according to a broker for high-end aircraft.

Cash-rich but time-poor technology executives are increasingly splashing out on larger aircraft capable of transcontinental travel without the need for fuel stops. 

Analysis by Jetcraft, a broker, forecasts a continued rise in sales of these aircraft, partly driven by the growth of ultra-high net worth individuals (UHNWIs).

Defined as people with investable assets in excess of $30m (£23m), there are currently about 513,000 UHNWIs, though this is predicted to grow at a 5pc annual rate over the coming five years. 

Alan Tovey has more.

Covid-19 spells disaster for ski chalet holidays this season but many believe it’s still the best way to maximise time and memories on the slopes.

Kate Leahy pens a love letter to the chalet holiday here.

‘The living world is a unique and spectacular marvel.” So says Sir David Attenborough in his new documentary A Life on Our Planet, a cautionary tale about the tragedy of our time: the rapid loss of the world’s wild places and the devastating diminishment of the biodiversity that makes up the web of life on the planet.  It’s a heart-wrenching but urgent watch. The scale of damage is huge but there are surprisingly simple solutions. And, travel, if properly managed, has a vital role to play in helping to preserve, protect and sustain those wild places. 

That is certainly something that renowned fly-fisherman and Blue Safari Seychelles co-founder Keith Rose-Innes believes. He has spent 24 years exploring one of the most beautiful places left on earth, the Outer Islands of Seychelles – a place so pristine it provided the location for one of Blue Planet II’s most memorable sequences: a shoal of monstrous giant trevallies leaping from a shimmering sea to snatch baby terns mid-air. 

Although there are 72 Outer Islands, Blue Safari is the custodian of four of the most remote: Alphonse, Astove, Cosmoledo and Farquhar. “Originally, my aim was to establish Seychelles as the best saltwater fly-fishing destination in the world,” Keith tells me (there’s nearly 100 per cent occupancy on his catch-and-release fly-fishing trips). “But as the years progressed that vision changed to one of preservation. These islands are so unique and vulnerable you feel you have to give everything you’ve got to protect them.” 

Paula Hardy has the full story.

In an online Q&A with Rupert Longsdon, founder of The Oxford Ski Company, Alex Herrmann, director of Switzerland Tourism in the UK, has urged that ski resorts in the Alpine nation are very much open for business and eager for skiers to return.

“The answer is very simple, yes, ski resorts will be open. All of them are either already open or they will open in the next three to four weeks,” said Herrmann.

Unlike their counterparts in France, Italy and Austria, which have been forced to remain close under new lockdown rules, resorts in Switzerland that are already open for early-season skiing, such as Zermatt, continue to welcome visitors, while others prepare to open on schedule before Christmas.

“The goal of everyone involved in travel and tourism in Switzerland is to create a balance between safety and still keep the enjoyable elements of a holiday. All the players have never worked as closely together,” he said. 

To reassure skiers that a trip to the Swiss slopes will be safe this winter a national ‘Clean & Safe’ label has been adopted by businesses that are following new rules, and resorts are adapting operations on the mountain, with more frequent lifts and online booking systems for gondolas and tickets. “The sun will be shining, there will be lots of snow and because skiing and snowboarding are outdoor activities a lot of the experience will be the same as before,” assured Herrmann.

• Where can I go skiing this winter? The latest rules and restrictions in ski resorts

People living in London were more likely to consider leaving the capital due to coronavirus than those living in other major European cities, a survey has shown.

A survey of over 5,000 residents across London, Paris, Madrid, Berlin and Milan by engineering firm Arup reported that three out of five Londoners said the pandemic had seen them considering quitting their city, compared to 41 per cent of those surveyed in Paris and only 30 per cent in Berlin.

The research was based on the concept that city dwellers enjoy a better quality of life when essential facilities are within a 15-minute walking or cycling distance from home. Londoners on average, live a 23-minute walk or cycle away from essential services, such as parks, grocery shops, schools, medical facilities, leisure centres, gyms and cafés. This distance is only 13 minutes in Milan and Madrid.

Malcolm Smith, Arup's global masterplanning and urban design leader, said the research “has shone a light on the importance of developing cities in smaller modules, with essential services concentrated around community hubs.”

The inimitable Anthony Peregrine explains why he opted for French citizenship with Brexit on the horizon, and how it involved byways of France's officialdom which, even after 30 years in the country, he had not explored.

There was no soul-searching. Becoming officially French would be like the administrative formality of a marriage after three decades of living together. And, anyway, I could stay British, too. Nothing in French law forbids dual nationality – or a foot in both camps on the field of Waterloo. Perfect. I assumed, also, that having a French wife would make matters simpler. 

This wasn’t immediately evident. The ensuing months were even less fun than is usually generated in dealings with the French administration. They involved a stack of official documents which, if laid end-to-end, would have encircled the earth, more swearing than even I thought possible and a police presence in our bedroom. This is not a criticism. It’s their country (well, mine too, now). They can demand what they damned well like. And, anyway, I wouldn’t thank you for some tin-pot nationality handed out like digestive biscuits.

Of course, I should have started the process earlier but didn’t. I’d been rolling along happily as a European for ages – and assumed “stay” would stroll it through the 2016 referendum. I didn’t have a vote, having been out of the country for more than 15 years, but assumed Mr Cameron would get by without me. Then, in early June 2016, I fell in with a coach party of north country English people. I was leading their tour through France. These were cultivated men and women whom I liked and admired very much (still do) and conversations made it clear that a great many had had enough of Europe as a political entity. Europe was fine – more than – for holidays but not for decision-making. Most were going to vote “leave”. A “stay” victory suddenly seemed like anything but a done deal.

Read the full article here.

Boris Johnson has told MPs that members of the UK government “want to help the airline industry”, which has been badly affected by the coronavirus pandemic.

Speaking at Prime Minister's Questions, which Johnson attended virtually as he is self-isolating, the PM told the House of Commons that the government has been “working very fast to see if we can replace the current quarantine arrangements for every category of self-isolation.”

The subject was raised by Conservative MP Sir Graham Brady, who said thousands of jobs had been lost and others were “hanging in the balance”, adding that he hopes to see the “lifeline” of current quarantine rules being replaced when England’s lockdown ends on December 2.

Food writer and restaurant critic William Sitwell, after a disappointing takeaway meal, is longing for the 20p tom kha gai soup he had a ten years ago at Bangkok airport.

It was 2010 and as I waited for a flight back to London, a small café loomed into view; humble, modest, unflashy and filled with people who looked local. Tourists en route to Banyan Tree paradise in Phuket would avoid this kind of place. We were braver souls. 

The bowls of tom kha gai, costing about 20p, were poured from a huge bubbling pot. Coconut milk made the soup white and in it bobbed mini aubergines, chicken, mushrooms, red chilli, lemongrass and ginger. It was a steaming broth of tasty, exotic, refreshing and wholesome goodness. It had the depth of slow-cooked stock and the vitality of fresh ingredients – tender chicken pieces, whispers of fresh coriander.

Such is the torture of withdrawal for your hunter gatherer that, after 10 months of inertia, I am dreaming of airports. Although they are only meant to be a means to an end for the traveller, they can be the most fun bit, especially if it’s a business trip.

Read William's article here, and prepare to be hungry.

The majority of ships aren’t sailing at the moment but that doesn't stop cruise lovers planning ahead: Viking Cruises’ 136-day round the world cruise has sold out in record time.

The itinerary sees Viking Star stop in 27 different countries and 56 ports, and is scheduled to disembark from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on December 24, 2021.

Michelle Black, Australia and New Zealand managing director for Viking, said 

“We are now seeing a positive uplift in bookings for 2022 and 2023 across our river, ocean and expedition portfolios. Anecdotal feedback and qualitative past passenger research has identified a strong belief that once international travel is open there will be huge demand for available capacity which is driving the current booking pattern.”

It’s been a bad week for the cruise industry, with the first line to sail in the Caribbean in seven months scrapping its 2020 plans after eight people caught Covid-19 – but next year may be a brighter one.

Pfizer Inc have said that final results from the late-stage trial of its Covid-19 vaccine show it was 95 per cent effective, adding it had the required two-months of safety data and would apply for emergency US authorisation within days.

The drugmaker said efficacy of the vaccine, developed with German partner BioNTech SE, was consistent across age and ethnicity demographics, and that there were no major side effects, a sign that the immunisation could be employed broadly around the world.

Efficacy in adults over 65 years, who are at particular risk from the virus, was over 94%.

The final analysis comes just one week after initial results from the trial showed the vaccine was more than 90 per cent effective.  On Monday, Moderna released preliminary data for its vaccine, showing similar effectiveness.

• How close is a Covid-19 vaccine after the Moderna and Pfizer breakthroughs - and who will get it first?

Stanfords, the much-loved Covent Garden bookstore known for its maps, travel journals and guidebooks, will survive into next year after raising the £120,000 it needed to stay open.

The shop has been badly hit by the pandemic in a "triple blow", as its  crowdfunding pitch describes it:

"Firstly, we specialise in maps and travel books so with travel halted we are losing sales. Secondly, we are in a central London location so the greatly reduced footfall just isn’t bringing in anything close to our usual flow of customers. 

Finally, as an independent bookshop with rent, taxes and expert staff (many of whom have worked for Stanfords for over 25 years) we have expenses that web-only businesses do not have.”

• The loss of Stanfords would be a national tragedy

One of the UK’s leading ski chalet specialists has ceased trading as the “extraordinary challenges” of the pandemic cast uncertainty over the upcoming ski season, reports our online ski editor Lucy Aspden.

VIP Ski had been trading for 30 years, but yesterday took to social media to inform its loyal customers of the news. The company was founded by Andy Sturt, who has written an honest and heart-felt blog post to his customers, titled  “I’m so sorry.”

He wrote:

“I never considered VIP Ski as my business, but rather a community of people and skiers; hundreds of thousands of guests, tens of thousands of colleagues, landlords, partners and suppliers, many of whom have become close friends, drawn together over the last thirty years around a common love of skiing and unbridled enjoyment in happy selfless service.”

Discover all the details here.

Ministers will face renewed pressure to introduce Covid-19 testing for passengers flying on key routes to and from the UK.

Former transport secretary Chris Grayling will lead a 90-minute Westminster Hall debate on today on the future of the aviation industry. He had previously called on ministers to work with the industry to carry out test trials as an alternative to the current quarantining system.

It is expected Mr Grayling will press the Government to "unlock" the sector by introducing arrival and departure testing at airports. Travellers arriving in the UK are required to self-isolate for 14 days.

Speaking in a Commons debate in September, Mr Grayling told MPs:

"At least let us try testing on some key routes, track very carefully what happens to the passengers on those routes, see if there really is a problem and establish whether we can make airport testing work to allow the airline industry to get going, not just locally within Europe but some of the international routes that are so important to them."

People have been travelling less since national restrictions were introduced in England, data from Google Mobility has shown.

Data shows that people are spending more time at home, in line with lockdown orders, and less time travelling and shopping.

Tokyo has seen its highest daily coronavirus cases, with 493 infections in Japan's capital and local media reporting that authorities are considering a return to the highest level of alert.

Wednesdays figures surpass the previous record of 472 on August 1, which came during a wave of cases over the summer.

There have been 1,913 deaths from Covid-19 in Japan during the pandemic, with more than 120,000 confirmed infections.

Even with its borders closed to foreign nationals, the allure of New Zealand is as strong as ever, with the government-run New Zealand Now website reporting a 38 per cent increase in visits from Britons between June to October compared to the same period last year.

Here, our resident expert Bryn  Reade offers a guide to the perfect holiday in the country.

Aotearoa, New Zealand, The Land of the Long White Cloud, is rightly celebrated for its stunning scenery and the friendliness of its people. Few countries can compete with the country’s range of adventure possibilities: it boasts a surf-pounded coastline longer than that of the US, 1,500 miles of cycle trails, world-class scuba diving, 24 ski fields, and over 7,000 miles of walking trails. If there’s a structure to jump off, the locals have attached a bungee to it.

Once travel resumes, a big ticket trip to New Zealand should be top priority for anyone hoping to shake off the spectre of lockdown. They call New Zealand a big little country – it takes 30 hours to drive non-stop from end to end. The most common complaint NZ tourism operators hear is “we wish we had stayed on one island”. This is an ambitious itinerary: it showcases some of the best physical, cultural, and culinary experiences the country has to offer, but it’s a big ask to see the whole country in less than a month. No doubt after two weeks, you too will be wistfully searching the logistics of a move to the country.

The full guide is here – start planning.

The UK has signed a bilateral Air Services Agreement with the US, which will replace the current European Union agreement after Brexit.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps signed on behalf of Britain, with American counterpart Elaine L Chao signing for the US, along with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

Mr Shapps took to Twitter to share the news.

Oliver Smith spoke to Dr Alex Stevenson from Harare struggles to explain why Zimbabwe was spared from coronavirus, with the pediatrician urging Britons to visit the country when restrictions are lifted.

“We feared the worst. I thought there was going to be a mass pandemic, and I was worried that the lockdown would cause mass starvation, but in the end neither happened. Corona just didn’t really arrive.”

This assertion is backed up by the official figures – to date, Zimbabwe has reported just 8,897 Covid cases and 257 deaths (compared with 1,390,681 and 52,147 for the UK) – but also by Stevenson’s own observations. 

“We were thinking we weren’t testing enough, and that the big influx of patients was just around the corner,” he says. “During the winter, when South Africa was reporting big numbers, there was fresh concern. But the influx never happened. 

“Covid is certainly around. But we’re only seeing maybe a few dozen cases a day, nationwide [68 were reported in the latest daily update]. The site where I work, St Anne’s, was designated a special corona hospital. Treatment is free, and it’s well known in the community – but almost all the beds are empty.”

Quite why Zimbabwe remains so unscathed is a matter for debate. Its young demographic (average age: 18.7) and low obesity rate are factors, says Stevenson, but other theories abound.  

Read the full interview here.

Several thousand people banging saucepans and blowing whistles have gathered in central Berlin this morning to protest against Angela Merkel's plans to give her government powers to enforce restrictions aimed at curbing the spread of the coronavirus.

Germany's lower and upper houses of parliament are due to pass laws later today which could allow the government to impose restrictions on social contact, rules on mask-wearing, drinking alcohol in public, shutting shops and stopping sports events.

Although most Germans accept the latest "lockdown light" to tackle a second wave of the coronavirus, critics say the law gives the government too much power and endangers citizens' civil rights without the approval of parliament.

The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) has even compared it with the Enabling Act of 1933 that paved the way Hitler's Nazi dictatorship.

A new survey has revealed that Hong Kong, Paris and Zurich are the most expensive cities in the world, with the trio sharing top spot.

The rise of the Swiss franc and Euro against the US Dollar have pushed the European capitals from the previous position of joint fifth, as well as the decline of Osaka, Japan, and Singapore, according to The Economist Intelligence Unit, who carried out the research as part of its 2020 Worldwide Cost of Living Survey.

Researchers concentrated on the prices of 138 products and services – including food, drink, clothing and household supplies – in around 130 cities worldwide. London creeps up three places to 20th.

At the other end of the table, Syria’s capital, Damascus, is the cheapest city in the world, with Tashkent, the Uzbek capital, slightly more expensive.

Emma Cooke has more here.

One of the UK’s leading family ski holiday specialists, Esprit Ski, will not run any ski holidays this winter due to “operational challenges” posed by Covid-19, a bitter blow to families keen to get to the mountains this winter, reports Abigail Butcher.

The UK Hotelplan Group, which owns Esprit Ski, as well as Inghams, Ski Total and Flexiski, will also not be offering any chalets or chalet hotels in France, and has suspended all travel to Finland for this winter, disappointing families hoping to travel to Lapland before Christmas.

Joe Pont, the chief executive of Hotelplan, said the “difficult decision” had “not been taken lightly” – particularly because interest in ski holidays has grown since the announcement that Covid-19 vaccines are on the way.

“Due to the ongoing travel restrictions across the UK and Europe, combined with unpredictable and constantly evolving situation of Covid-19, we are faced with uncertain operational challenges when it comes to running our successful childcare programme, chalets and chalet hotels.”

Click here for the full story. 

Fiji Airways isn’t letting the archipelago’s closed borders stop it showing off its brand new aircraft. This Saturday, its A350 plane will take to the skies from Nadi Airport, on Viti Levu, spending more than two hours in the sky before returning.

In a statement, the airline said that business class seats had already sold out, and that only limited economy seats remain. It added the experience would prepare staff and passengers on changes to expect when flying resumed properly.

This isn’t the first time a ‘flight to nowhere’ has popped up during the pandemic. Earlier this year, two carriers in Taiwan began offering ‘flightseeing’ trips to passengers keen to break the monotony of lockdown. Eva Air flew a special Hello Kitty-themed flight which circled Japan’s Ryukyu Islands, while China Airlines launched an experience where children play as cabin crew on a two-hour flight that takes off and lands at Taoyuan.

And in July, Karyn Noble investigated whether we could see a rise in ‘cruises to nowhere’ as a way of getting passengers sailing again.

Travel restrictions are to be imposed in Taiwan after cases began to rise, according to reports.

From next month, all arrivals must show a negative Covid-19 test taken within three days of departure. The wearing of masks will also be required in additional settings, including art galleries, bars and temples.

Taiwan has been widely considered as having successfully handled coronavirus, with no domestic transmissions for more than 200 days. However, imported cases have seen an upturn, with eight new cases on Friday – the most in a day for seven months.

So you don't end up on the wrong side of the law,  Nick Trend and Annabel Fenwick Elliott answer the burning travel questions, such as:

• Am I allowed to go on holiday in lockdown?
• Will I get a refund?
• What about UK holidays?
• I am abroad at the moment – must I come home? 
• Are there any exemptions to the travel ban?

Find the answers to these – and more – right here.

Here’s something to make you smile: A record number of seal pups are expected at England's largest colony, the National Trust has said.

Blakeney National Nature Reserve in Norfolk has been home to grey seals since 1988 but their numbers have exploded from 25 pups in 2001 to 3,399 in 2019. This year the trust expects numbers to reach 4,000, success which is down to low early-life mortality rates, no natural predators and limited human disturbance due to the remote nature of the reserve.

A year free of disturbance from humans has been a boost for many animals.

In Mexico a record numbers of endangered olive ridley turtles hatched, with 2,250 released into the Gulf of California compared to 500 in a typical year. And in the UK, birds are also thought to have received a boost from a quiet year, particularly those such as skylarks which nest on the ground.

Here is the full story.

British Airways will offer voluntary free Covid tests for passengers on three US-UK routes in a bid to persuade ministers that pre-departure tests work, reports Charles Hymas.

The airline is joining with American Airlines to introduce voluntary free testing for passengers on three routes into London Heathrow from Dallas/Fort Worth, New York’s John F Kennedy airport and Los Angeles from November 25.

Travellers who volunteer will take a PCR test 72 hours before departure, a second rapid Lamp test on arrival and then a third three days later. BA’s new chief executive Sean Doyle said the third test was intended to confirm the results of the first two and demonstrate that one or two tests would be sufficient to allow travel to safely restart without quarantine.

His proposals go beyond the plans to be unveiled in the next week by the Government’s testing task force which are expected to cut the 14-day quarantine by up to nine days. It proposes a single test on day five of quarantine after arrival in the UK and could be introduced next month.

Read more here.

Britain's leading all-inclusive ski tour operator is preparing for a winter season like no other as the coronavirus pandemic forces both holidaymakers and travel bosses to reconsider their future plans.

In an exclusive first look at Club Med’s eighth annual consumer insight report The Telegraph can reveal quarantine and travel uncertainty will not stop skiers and snowboarders from hitting the slopes this winter and recent vaccine news has resulted in a surge in interest to get away

Estelle Giraudeau, managing director of UK and Northern Europe at Club Med, said:

“Like many tour operators we are waiting to see the outcome of the second lockdown and what this means for the winter ski season and the travel industry as a whole,” said Giraudeau, who believes all-inclusive operators like Club Med are in a unique position to offer the security travellers need in the post-pandemic world of travel. 

 “We believe the all-inclusive ski holiday model will be more attractive than ever, with customers safe in the knowledge that their holidays are Atol-protected, guaranteeing that they are not going to be hit with lots of additional costs after booking. Transfers, lift passes, lessons, food and drink and a whole host of activities are included within the package price and think this will be an incredibly attractive proposition.”

Lucy Aspden has the full story.

South Australia has entered an immediate six-day lockdown as the state moves to prevent a second wave of Covid-19 cases, with a further week of strict rules to follow.

The vast majority of schools will shut, universities, bars and restaurants will close, and funerals and weddings are banned. Regional travel and outdoor exercise is also forbidden. People have also been advised to wear masks when they leave their home.

Premier Steven Marshall said South Australia was in need of a “circuit breaker” to help the contract tracking system, and without it they “will not stay ahead of this”.

The latest outbreak, which has seen 22 confirmed infections, started after a breach of quarantine.

Good morning everyone. Before we begin today’s news, here’s a look at yesterday’s headlines:

• Britons face Covid testing hurdles for Spain holidays
• Covid-stricken Caribbean cruise line cancels all 2020 voyages
• Disney World Florida ups visitor capacity to 35pc
• Eleven areas of Scotland to move to Tier 4 restrictions, Nicola Sturgeon says
• United Airlines begins transatlantic Covid-19 testing trial

Follow us here for today's travel news.