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At this time of the year, many people traditionally begin to think about coming together for gatherings of family and friends to celebrate events such as Christmas, Kwanzaa and Hanukkah.

But for millions of people, their festive plans are in upheaval after the World Health Organisation identified Omicron a ‘variant of concern’ resulting in travel bans and restrictions across a number of countries. The WHO has since told nations they must prepare for coronavirus surges linked to Omicron.

We hear from restaurant and hotel owners in South Africa, the UK and Canada about the impact on the hospitality industry in the run up to one of their busiest holiday periods after a difficult 19 months. Plus we introduce two women in the Netherlands and the UK about how their plans are changing, Our guest in the UK was due to fly home to South Africa for a five-week family holiday but is now having to arrange an alternative celebration.

Picture: Christmas decorations in Tokyo after Japan effectively closed its borders in response to the Omicron variant (REUTERS/Androniki Christodoulou)