Travel news: Holiday scam warning following lockdown easing
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From today, 17 May, international leisure travel is finally legal again in England. Jetting off on a foreign holiday is now possible under a traffic light system, with countries classified as green, amber or red and prescribed restrictions to match based on the risk of arrivals importing new coronavirus infections.
The government is currently advising that Britons should not be visiting amber or red countries for recreational purposes.
However, police and Action Fraud are warning that criminals may take advantage of the rush to get away by scamming holidaymakers. Social media sites like Facebook could be one potential attack vector, experts said.
The Independent’s travel team in a race to the sun to celebrate the easing of restrictions: our correspondent Simon Calder jetted off to Faro, Portugal, while travel editor Cathy Adams headed for Madeira (two of the few viable “green list” destinations). Deputy editor Helen Coffey, meanwhile, has decamped to a new hotel for the day.
Read more:
Health and safety measures on flights
As leisure travel abroad resumes, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has issued some advice for travellers.
“When booking a holiday, it is important you do your research and those booking package holidays should make sure it is financially protected by the UK Civil Aviation Authority’s ATOL scheme,” it says. “This financial protection offers consumers support and reimbursement should their holiday provider cease trading.”
Top tips for travellers
- Make sure it’s ATOL protected
- Check requirements on entry to your destination
- Pay on a credit card for further protection
- Take out travel insurance as soon as you book
- Follow Government guidelines on your return to the UK
- Consumers seeking further information should visit www.packpeaceofmind.co.uk.
Health measures across the UK aviation industry
As international leisure travel restarts, the UK Civil Aviation Authority has been assessing the steps the industry has been taking to make sure UK airlines and airports are COVID-secure for passengers and staff, through its voluntary assurance scheme.
The Civil Aviation Authority’s assessments look at a range of measures including the use of masks and face coverings, health screening and declarations, as well as specific steps for passengers with reduced mobility.
The regulator said it will continue to work with all organisations who have been through the scheme to help maintain COVID-security as international leisure travel takes off.
Safety
The UK Civil Aviation Authority has been working with the aviation industry throughout the pandemic to support airlines and their crew ahead of a safe restart to international leisure travel. The regulator says passengers can expect the same levels of safety performance as before the pandemic.
Most airlines have kept their pilots’ skills up to date using sufficient flight simulator time and the Civil Aviation Authority has been working with industry to put other focussed training plans in place for airlines and their crew.
Growing fears Indian variant could delay 21 June lockdown lifting, as expert warns against socialising indoors
Friends will meet up to hug and huge swathes of the UK economy reopen on Monday – but there are growing fears the spread of the Indian Covid-19 variant could delay the end of lockdown next month.
Government ministers and officials have shared their fears that a “small but significant” minority of people are declining to get the coronavirus vaccine when offered.
It comes after news that people infected with the variant had used public transport to get home from the airport after arriving from India before it was placed on the “red list”.
It was also reported recently that BA cabin crew were avoiding flights to India because of the risks.
One unnamed minister told the Politico website on Monday that vaccine refusers were the “principal threat” to the planned lifting of further lockdown curbs on 21 June.
“If even quite a small number of people don’t take the vaccine, a variant with high transmissibility can easily cause a lot of deaths,” the minister said.
Growing fears Indian variant could delay21 June lockdown lifting
‘A small number of idiots ruin it for everyone else,’ says unnamed minister
Hotels reopen in England
It’s not only foreign travel that’s unlocking from today - the domestic tourism industry is also experiencing a mass reopening. From 17 May, hotels, B&Bs and all tourist accommodation can welcome back guests in England, alongside indoor attractions such as museums and galleries.
To celebrate, I’ve come to a brand new hotel in London to experience the joys of staying away. I’ll be spending the day – and night – at the NYX Holborn, where a cracking central location meets bombastic, so-trendy-it-hurts design, with quirky, millennial-friendly touches at every turn. I’d go so far as to describe it as “Instagrammable” if the term didn’t turn my stomach…
I’ll be partaking in an indoor – wahoo! – lunch, trying out the spa and gym facilities and generally living my best life.
Butlin's reopens on 17 May
Butlin’s reopens its doors today. Families will be welcomed by Redcoats at Bognor Regis, Skegness and Minehead and with guest safety the top priority, each resort has introduced a brand new state-of-the-art, 860-seater indoor entertainment venue ‘Studio 36’, designed for social distancing.
Additional safety measures have been put in place for the reopening. Extra hand sanitising stations have been installed and cleaning around resort has increased. For example, all rides will be sanitised after use and once a guest’s accommodation has been cleaned prior to arrival, a sticker goes on the door to show no one else has entered. Drive-thru check-in has also been rolled out at all three resorts.
All entertainment venues including the new Studio 36, bars and restaurants will use the B Serve app allowing guests to order food and drink directly to their tables, eliminating queues.
Jon Hendry-Pickup, managing director at Butlin’s said: “Our resorts are open and we’re so excited to be welcoming guests back. Everybody wants to get back doing what they love and we want our guests to feel safe and happy when coming to holiday with us.
“We have implemented new safety measures to help deliver the best break possible. This year is our greatest entertainment lineup ever featuring acts we know our guests will love. We’ve lots of new and exclusive shows taking centre stage at our new Studio 36 venue so the question is, what break will you be booking for your family?”
Risk of Indian variant spreading from UK as travel reopens, expert warns
Sir Jeremy Farrar, director of The Wellcome Trust charity, warned there is a risk that the Covid-19 variant first identified in India could be transmitted by people travelling out of the UK.
He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "Britain is a very connected, and very small country and the chance of local cases becoming regional and then regional becoming national is very clear.
"And it is also connected internationally and I think that's also a concern not only for importation of new variants coming into the country, but also people travelling out of the country – there is a risk that this variant B.617 could be transmitted from the UK now.
"I think travel should still be very cautious and only when absolutely essential. But the only way to stop these variants occurring is to drive down transmission."
Additional reporting by PA
What are the entry requirements for travel to Madeira?
Very easy entrance at Funchal Airport. I simply showed my QR code from Madeira Safe (which had stored my negative test result), and was waved straight through. Now off to explore Madeira - in 25C heat and bright sunshine! (Sorry everybody).
For Brits travelling to Madeira, there’s currently no quarantine restriction imposed providing you can produce evidence of a negative PCR test, proof of full vaccination, or proof of having recovered from a Covid-19 infection in the last 90 days.
Mixing in Heathrow queues
Steve Myall, a journalist, says he has been asked to wait aside in his queue for a flight at Heathrow – next to a group of people who have arrived from a “red list” country.
A fast-track scheme for families with small children had been suspended and the queue was about an hour long, he said.
Earlier, Heathrow’s chief executive said some queues had reached six hours. “Automated testing checks” and more Border Force staff had been put in place to whittle down that delay, John Holland-Kaye told Good Morning Britain.
Tui holidaymakers arrive at the sea
Arrived at the Riu Palace Madeira, greeted by a very excited Tui rep - everybody here is so pleased to see holidaymakers. Two lightly filled coaches full of sun-worshippers are staying at this four-star property, on Madeira's south side, and the hotel doesn't feel too busy. Settled in with a nice shot of sweet Madeira wine - which is allowed because it is after midday here. Handily, there is no time difference from the UK, which means no jet lag on the way home.
Sign up to Simon Calder’s weekly travel newsletter
We’re living in an extraordinary time for travel. After many months of staying local, holidays have finally been given the green light– just in time for what we hope will be a bumper summer season, writes Simon Calder.
Some travellers resemble coiled springs, ready to go to any location at the drop of a credit card; while others are cautious about the constantly changing tangle of travel restrictions, and the risk of being stuck on the wrong side of someone else’s lockdown.
But one thing has never changed.
I’ve been writing about travel for The Independent for 27 years, celebrating the best the world has to offer. In that time, the newspaper has provided guidance on planning a journey thoughtfully, choosing the lowest-impact means to reach a destination and maximising the benefits of tourism to host communities.
We’re also committed to taking you to the best destinations, and hunting out the best deals from across the world, whether that’s a week on a European beach or a sleeper train trip to Scotland.
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Warner Bros. Harry Potter tour reopens today
Aside from hotels and foreign travel, all kinds of tourist attractions are allowed to reopen from 17 May.
Warner Bros. Studio Tour London: The Making of Harry Potter reopens today for the first time since its closure in December 2020. Due to popular demand, visitors are welcomed back to the Celebration of Slytherin feature which first ran last year: visitors will enter through the Great Hall doors to be greeted by a sea of green as the Slytherin house banners are suspended from the enchanted ceiling, in reference to the final scenes in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. A number of original costumes belonging to Slytherin’s most esteemed witches and wizards are also on display including those of Draco Malfoy and Lord Voldemort.
Geoff Spooner, SVP and General Manager at Warner Bros. Studio Tour London said “We are extremely excited to be welcoming visitors back to the Studio Tour. The measures we have in place ensure visitors will have both a safe and magical experience as they walk in the footsteps of the filmmakers who brought the Harry Potter films to life.”
The Studio Tour reopens with a range of safety measures in place including reduced capacity, regular enhanced cleaning and requiring all visitors to wear a face mask or covering, unless seated in a café or restaurant. Following government guidance, all visitors aged 16 and over must display proof of NHS Test & Trace Venue Check In on arrival or pre-register their details with Warner Bros. Studio Tour London.
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