That was the prediction of PC Agency boss and travel industry analyst Paul Charles after the vaccine was given the green light for use by regulators on Wednesday (30 December).
Charles, a former communications director for Virgin Atlantic and Eurostar and spokesperson for the Quash Quarantine campaign, told The Telegraph: "The Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine will enable so many more people to be offered protection faster. That will not only boost confidence to book but also open up travel more quickly.
"I’d be booking for 1 May onwards with certainty. Staycations will return from March onwards. Short-haul travel in Europe will be definite again from late April but most long-haul destinations will still take time to open up, most likely from September onwards.
“Without doubt, though, scientists have delivered a game-changer which makes travel certain again this spring. There will be a bumper summer in 2021.”
His optimism was shared by Advantage chief executive Julia Lo Bue-Said, who tweeted: “Some positive news as we get ready to embark the start of a new year. None of us know what it will bring but overnight I’m feeling a lot more hopeful.”
https://twitter.com/jlo_said/status/1344204281172422656
In another tweet, Lo Bue-Said said she believed “no one can make any predictions with certainty” but stressed how consumers booked their travel in 2021 would “become increasingly important”.
“The importance of booking with a trusted human travel agent has never been more important,” she said.
