Austria has announced a full national Covid-19 lockdown, starting on Monday, as the country battles a new wave of the virus.
The announcement will be a further blow to operators and agents offering winter holidays on the continent, following news that the German city of Munich has cancelled its Christmas market.
The Guardian reported that more than £3 billion was wiped off the value of UK airlines and travel-related companies on Friday (November 19) as Austria’s decision “stoked fears of the introduction of new pandemic restrictions across Europe”.
IAG, the owner of British Airways, was down almost 6% on Friday afternoon, while the Premier Inn owner, Whitbread, which also operates in Germany, Intercontinental Hotels group and the events business Informa were among the biggest fallers.
“Businesses affected by negative investor sentiment on Friday also included the airlines easyJet, Ryanair, Lufthansa and Wizz Air as well as the package holiday firm Tui,” added the Guardian article.
More: Operators and cruise lines monitor European restrictions impact
Austria has reported 155,463 cases and 484 deaths in the last 14 days, according to Sky News.
Students will return home schooling, restaurants and most stores will be closed and cultural events will be cancelled, said the Sky report.
The lockdown will last a maximum of 20 days and there will be a legal requirement to get vaccinated from 1 February 2022, said the BBC.
Elsewhere, Slovakia’s prime minister announced “a lockdown for the unvaccinated” will start on Monday, and the Czech government is also limiting access to a range of services, added the BBC.
German leaders have agreed to introduce restrictions for unvaccinated people in areas with high Covid hospital admissions that will affect 12 of Germany’s 16 states.
Picture of skier in Tyrol, Austria, by Natalia Paklina/Shutterstock