The most potent question on every travel lover’s mind is whether or not they can book a summer holiday right now. Perhaps the question should also be, how much of a daredevil are you?
Here’s what the current travel landscape looks like, and it is all dependent on Covid.
Currently, UK border restrictions are tightening and all incoming travellers – including British nationals – are required to present a negative Covid-19 test.
On top of that the travel corridors scheme – which enabled those entering the UK from countries with low coronavirus rates to forgo mandatory quarantine – has been scrapped.
When Secretary of State for the Home Department Priti Patel was asked this question during the Downing Street briefing all she could offer was :
“It’s far too early to speculate around restrictions and far too early to even contemplate easing restrictions”.
Even PM Boris Johnson had none of his usual bluster and enthusiasm about the possibility of any restrictions being lifted before the summer.
Yesterday, Northern Ireland has extended its lockdown until March 5.
Then there is the question of which countries feel comfortable allowing Brits to enter. The latest government figures show the intensity of infection is still high with total cases reaching 100,000 deaths making Britain the country with the worst toll.
Spain, traditionally the goto holiday destination for Britons has been sending out mixed messages.
Spain’s tourism minister Reyes Maroto insisted that the country will open up progressively for holidaymakers by the spring. Yet prime minister, Pedro Sanchez, warned the frontiers could remain closed until autumn saying:
“Only mass vaccination will open the way to the normality we want.”
The USA is not showing signs of opening its borders to British travellers, Australia has closed its borders until the end of 2021 and Germany’s Angela Merkl is even talking about closing EU borders to Brits until such time the UK can show it has handled COVID.
Travel companies are looking at options: Saga, the holiday company that specialises in holidays for the over 50s, is the first travel company to insist on compulsory inoculation to cruise with them. Will others follow suit? Quantas was the first airline to insist on the same stipulation followed by Korean Airways.
Saga is restarting their schedule on May 4th and is unsure if their clients will have had time to have the jab since the time between each dose has been extended to 12 weeks from the original six weeks.
There are optimists who are booking holidays enticed by cheaper holiday deals. However as no one has a crystal ball, any booking remains laced with risk.
If you do book a holiday, be sure it is ABTA protected and that the company has reassured you that a full refund would be payable or are willing to offer a free change of date for travel.
But before you hang your head down in frustration there is some hope. The vaccine rollout is on schedule and collectively fingers are crossed that we will be on the road again within months. But nothing is guaranteed.
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