Whitbread PLC (LON:WTB) and Intercontinental Hotels Group PLC (LON:IHG) were on the rise on Tuesday after the UK government announced the easing of some lockdown measures in England.
Boris Johnson set July 4 as the date to reopen tourist accommodation, while people can keep a social distance of ‘one metre plus’ - meaning staying one metre apart, plus mitigations which reduce the risk of transmission.
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Pubs, restaurants, hotels, B&Bs and Airbnb properties will be allowed to receive customers and guests again with heightened safety measures such as deep cleaning.
Tourist sites with shared facilities, such as campsites or hostels, may reopen at a later date.
The government is also reportedly finalising agreements with ten countries to skip the mandatory quarantine for inbound travel.
Passengers coming from popular destinations such as France, Spain, Greece, Italy and Turkey would not have to confine themselves for two weeks once arrived in the UK, according to The Times.
Shares in Whitbread and IHG advanced 2% to 2,405p and 3,933p respectively at noon, airlines including Ryanair (LON:RYA) and easyJet (LON:EZJ) were also higher, but tour operator TUI (LON:TUI) was in the red.
--Updates with government's announcement--