London | November 26 was a dramatic day in the travel and tourism sector. The British government, spooked by the sudden emergence of the new COVID-19 variant now known as omicron, resurrected 10-day hotel quarantine for arrivals for half-a-dozen African countries.

The return of the “red list” was a flashing signal that the pandemic was far from over for the travel industry. It was obviously no longer going to be a normal Christmas of bustling airports and packed planes.