Blueprint for holidays and hands-off HMRC approach

More good news comes from HMRC, which has said it will not vigorously pursue Covid-hit companies for unpaid tax this summer.

Here are the key national headlines concerning travel on Wednesday (23 June) as travel prepares for a day of lobbying at Westminster, and in Edinburgh and Belfast.

Blueprint for holiday lift-off

Fully vaccinated Britons could enjoy quarantine-free holidays from 19 July. Boris Johnson is being pressed by ministers to drop formal advice about not travelling to amber list countries. The Balearic islands will also be added to the green list. (The Daily Mail)

Traffic light list to be updated on Thursday

Quarantine-free holidays to Greece and Italy could be a possibility for double jabbed holidaymakers. Ministers will decide within the next 48 hours whether to open key destinations for those who have had both injections. Unvaccinated under-18s will also be able to travel (The Sun)

HMRC ‘to go easy’ on struggling companies

UK companies struggling with Covid debts will not be pursued for unpaid taxes to avoid a wave of insolvencies this summer. Business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng has written to organisations saying the government will take a soft approach to debt owed to it. (Financial Times)

England to drop facemasks and distancing on 19 July

The government is expected to confirm on Monday that social distancing, facemasks and work from home guidance will no longer be part of the Covid guidelines. The emphasis will instead be placed on ‘personal responsibility’. (The Times)

Sydney faces new restrictions

Sydney’s residents will have to wear masks indoors and many will be banned from leaving the city under tough new Covid rules. Officials are concerned about an outbreak of the Delta variant. A cluster of infections was detected around a shopping centre in Bondi. (BBC)

‘Hotels on rails’ planned

A French start-up plans to run trains between Paris and 12 cities, including Edinburgh, offering an overnight ‘hotel style’ service. Midnight Trains plans to launch in 2024 and offer a sustainable alternative to low-cost flights. (The Guardian)

Boeing pays compensation to Max victims’ families

Families of those killed in two crashes of the Boeing 737 Max can claim nearly $1.45 million each after a fund was opened. The Lion Air and Ethiopian Airlines disasters claimed 346 lives. (City AM)