‘Booming bookings are great news for travel industry as Covid rules eased’

The British travel industry was pretty much ignored by the Government during the pandemic, Nigel Thompson says. Now, people are starting to plan more trips after restrictions were eased

Just as politicians have ‘bellwether’ Parliamentary seats which indicate which way a general election is going, February half-term is a key indicator for Brits’ holiday optimism.

And never more so than now, as we emerge from 23 months of Covid-19 getaway gloom.

With Portugal, Greece and now France easing travel restrictions, it’s more great news for families and couples planning trips in the early part of 2022 – though it’s a shame that Spain is currently not playing (beach) ball.

Spain’s loss looks like Turkey, Mexico and the Caribbean’s gain.

Consumer confidence is absolutely everything in travel, and right now it’s heading into orbit.

Once schools break up, there will be a joyous stampede of flip-flop wearers at Britain’s airports as we head to the winter sunshine hotspots, plus an ecstatic army of skiers will be slaloming their way to security to jet off to the French Alps.

The British travel industry was pretty much ignored by the Government during the pandemic, so booming bookings are fantastic news for a sector which employs hundreds of thousands of people and pours billions into the nation’s coffers.

Yes, there is a cost of living crisis, but Brits work incredibly hard and long hours and, after the seemingly endless misery of lockdowns, it’s hardly a surprise that we are desperate to get away on holiday at long last – and there are still some very good deals out there.

There may be a bit of ‘new normal’ faffing with paperwork, and you could well need a mask, but it’ll all be so worth it when you’re on that sunlounger at the beach or heading down the ski slopes at half-term.

And perhaps by the summer we’ll be back to the ’old normal’. Fingers crossed!

Do not go abroad without travel insurance, get it in place as soon as you book. I also strongly recommend package holidays with the security of UK Civil Aviation Authority ATOL (Air Travel Organisers’ Licensing)
protection.

And if you are arranging your own travel, then pay on a credit card for cover via section 75 of the UK Consumer Credit Act, though this may not apply to bookings made via a third party.