All you need to know about the Morocco travel ban - and if other destinations could follow suit

• By ITV News Multimedia Producer Wedaeli Chibelushi

Passengers are no longer permitted to fly between Morocco and the UK following a ban implemented by the north African nation from Thursday.

Morocco, a popular holiday destination, changed its travel policy amid increasing numbers of daily Covid cases in the UK - Tuesday's figures were the highest in nearly three months.

The prompt rules change could cause issues for Brits who booked holidays in the coming weeks.

For those concerned by the sudden change, ITV News looks at how flights can be refunded, the likelihood of other tourist spots banning Brits and whether booking a foreign holiday for 2021 is a sensible thing to do.

Coronavirus: What you need to know

I have a trip to Morocco booked for half-term, what shall I do?

Which? Travel Editor Rory Boland says package holidays will be cancelled and customers will be able to rebook or claim a refund within 14 days.

He added: "Customers who booked flights and hotels separately will be able to claim a refund for flights, as they too will be cancelled, but hotel refunds may be trickier and in some circumstances you could be reliant on the flexibility of the hotel's booking terms and conditions".

My trip to Morocco is later on in the year. Should I cancel?

Mr Boland says the best advice is to wait to see if the ban remains in place.

"Don't cancel your holiday as you will likely lose your right to a refund," he adds.

An exact timeframe is unclear but Morocco’s National Office of Airports said the policy will remain in place "until further notice".

Will other countries follow suit?

Professor Linda Bauld, a public health expert from the University of Edinburgh, says other countries may adopt a ban similar to Morocco's.

"We've been here before. We've seen for example in December with the rise of the Alpha variant - and even just this June with the rise of the Delta in the UK - countries banned travel from the UK into their country," she said.

Is worth booking any foreign holidays during the remainder of 2021?

Mr Boland says the Morocco's ban demonstrates that international travel remains unpredictable.

"Anyone looking to book a holiday should book with a provider that has a reliable flexible booking policy, or if appropriate, a package holiday as these come with stronger financial protections," he says.

"A good travel insurance policy will continue to be essential, and it’s also advisable to book with a credit card to give yourself further protection."