UK tells airlines to avoid Belarusian airspace and suspends state carrier’s license over ‘hijacking’ May 24, 2021 The UK has joined a number of other countries in instructing airlines to avoid Belarusian airspace after a commercial flight was intercepted by a fighter jet and diverted to the country to arrest a journalist. Transport secretary Grant Shapps tweeted that he had instructed the UK’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to ask planes to steer [...]
Budget 2021: Pubs, restaurants and retailers toast Sunak’s announcement but warn of gaps in support March 3, 2021 The hospitality and retail sectors have welcomed the Chancellor’s extended support for pubs, restaurants, shops and salons, but said more could be done to encourage consumers back to the high street after lockdown. Rishi Sunak this afternoon announced measures including a business rates holiday extension, new “restart” grants, a VAT cut extension and a beer [...]
Wanted: A minister for hospitality December 22, 2020 The hospitality industry — which provided work to more than 3.2m people before the pandemic struck — has been hit harder than virtually any other sector by Covid-19. But while the latest ONS figures show that a staggering 78 per cent of businesses in the accommodation and food services industry have been impacted, there is [...]
Hotel Chocolat swings to loss as pandemic bites into sales September 29, 2020 Luxury chocolatier Hotel Choclat swung to a statutory loss in the 52 weeks to June, after shuttered commuter hubs and store closures during the crucial Easter period swallowed up sales and hammered finances. The results Revenue rose three per cent for the 12 months to the end of June, after a 14 per cent hike [...]
Omicron: what it means for markets November 30, 2021 Mark Ainsworth, Head of Data Insights: The new Covid-19 variant B.1.1.529, or Omicron, that was identified last week in southern Africa has officially been classed a “variant of concern” by the World Health Organization. Covid-19 infections had already been on the rise in a number of countries, notably in Europe. This is due to colder [...]
Claridge’s back in black after seven-year rebuild as tourists flock back to London December 18, 2023 The Mayfair luxury hotel in Brook Street saw revenues more than double to £98.1m in 2022
Bringing London back to life is about more than a return to offices – the capital is fighting for its soul February 28, 2021 Everyone who has moved to London from somewhere else remembers their first night here. I remember mine. My wife and I had dinner in a tiny Indian restaurant in Wembley near the GPs surgery where she’d be working as a nurse. I didn’t have a job yet – but I had that pure excitement that [...]
The Hollywood of Europe: How the Canary Islands are being reinvented as a film hub October 31, 2020 In the opening scenes of action-thriller Jason Bourne, the film’s forgetful hero, played by Matt Damon, strides through violent protests on the streets of Athens. He meets his spy partner in the iconic Syntagma Square, before being chased through a sea of blue and white flags by a menacing CIA hit squad. But for eagle-eyed [...]
Best of travel: Why Panama is Latin America’s hot holiday destination February 24, 2021 To tide us over until we’re able to travel again, we’re republishing classic travel stories from our archives. Today we revisit Alex Dymoke’s trip to Panama to see if it really is all hats and canals. ••• In Britain, Panama is famous for two things: the canal and canoe man. Back in 2002, John Darwin [...]
Super-rich international shoppers flock to UK department stores February 4, 2020 The UK is the second most popular shopping destination in the world for super-rich tourists, with visitors spending up to €35,000 each with luxury British retailers, according to the latest research. Britain attracts 31 per cent of international “elite shoppers”, second only to France which took a 36 per cent share last year. Super-rich visitors [...]