A recurring theme from this week’s global travel news round-up was the growing call by travel operators for more support and clearer guidelines on how to effectively manage the coronavirus pandemic.

The Australian Airports Association (AAA) has urged the Australian Government to develop an aviation industry recovery strategy, following the recent announcement of job losses and cuts to long-haul flights by Virgin Australia. The AAA is requesting the installation of Government-mandated domestic and international security screening equipment and rebates for international screening charges among other incentives to maintain services and ensure the safety of passengers and staff.

In addition, the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) is encouraging governments to follow its four-point plan in order to prevent further job losses in the travel & tourism sector. This includes the implementation of a rapid test and trace strategy, allowing countries to contain the spread of COVID-19 while still allowing people to travel responsibly.

The need for a more collective approach to tackling coronavirus was further highlighted by new travel restrictions introduced by various countries this week, leading to confusion among international and domestic passengers. The UK government instigated a 14-day quarantine for travellers returning from Spain, Belgium, Andorra and the Bahamas, while Thailand announced it is delaying plans for a travel bubble with a select number of countries following reports of fresh coronavirus cases in Asia.

There was, however, some positive news. Travellers will be heartened to hear that the Maldives is due to reopen 94% of resorts to guests in October. Retailer WHSmith has also begun a phased reopening of its stores at UK airports and train stations, with its 246 largest outlets now trading again. Meanwhile, Ryanair announced it has restored over 60% of its normal flight schedules this month, with 4.4 million customers travelling to destinations across Europe with the airline in July.