Yes, there has been the odd flicker of positivity in the form of a slight easing in a destination’s travel rules, or a small drop in the cost of a PCR test. But for the first time since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, it truly feels like some of travel’s lucky stars have – finally – started to align.

There is a genuine glimmer of hope the sector may be on a path back towards something resembling life as it was known before the word "coronavirus" became as common as, well, the common cold. So has the past week really marked a true turning point in the industry’s fortunes?
 
It all started on Monday (7 February) with the news that Australia, which has enforced some of the world’s most draconian border controls during the pandemic, will allow entry to fully vaccinated overseas arrivals from 21 February, although it is important to note the country’s eight states can enact their own local border measures.

The decision came just days after neighbouring New Zealand set out its roadmap to reopening this year.
 
Greece and Portugal were next, with both destinations announcing relaxations of their Covid testing requirements for UK visitors – moves likely to come as a significant boost for summer bookings.

Authorities in Portugal now only require a valid vaccination certificate on arrival, while under-12s do not need to present a test; Greece, meanwhile, will grant overseas tourists entry with proof of a negative antigen test taken 48 hours before departure.

Next, Morocco’s decision to lift its flight ban came as music to the ears of Intrepid Travel managing director EMEA – and Moroccan national – Zina Bencheikh, who spoke to TTG shortly after getting off a flight back to the country.

On Wednesday (9 February), France dropped its requirement for UK arrivals to present evidence of a negative test for Covid-19 – a huge boost families and skiers alike ahead of half-term.
 
Guernsey dropped all Covid-19 border restrictions for all arrivals, regardless of vaccination status, on Thursday (10 February) before India on Friday (11 February) announced plans to lift its quarantine requirement for fully vaccinated UK arrivals.

It was Spain’s "better late than never" decision on Friday, though, to ease its entry rules for youngsters from midnight on Monday (14 February) that got pulses racing in travel.

The country will now allow 12- to 17-year-olds to enter with proof of a negative PCR test (or similar) rather than proof of vaccination, although the decision comes too late to save many half-term family breaks to Spain.

A week of reopenings and relaxations was capped off by the UK government further easing its international travel restrictions, including ending all testing for fully vaccinated arrivals.

Advantage Travel Partnership chief Julia Lo Bue-Said said Friday (11 February) “should be a day of celebration” for the travel industry. “With many of the testing regulations to enter the UK now relaxed, it will now become much easier for holidaymakers and business travellers to return to the UK from abroad – and allow inbound tourists, who contribute so much to the UK’s economy, plan a return visit."
 
The week also saw more travel companies claim major upticks in sales, notably Cunard, which saw its strongest level of bookings for 10 years after a “record-breaking” first two days of trading for its summer 2023 itineraries.
 
January sales for Fred Olsen returned to pre-pandemic levels, with last-minute bookings proving “particularly popular”, while Gold Medal said it saw “triple-digit growth” in demand for Australia after the country’s border announcement.
 
Elsewhere, Travel Counsellors said bookings were showing “no signs of slowing down” and were now at the same level they were in January 2019.

Your Co-op Travel said it saw such a rapid increase in bookings last month that it necessitated a renewed effort to recruit 30 new members of staff, a further sign the industry has begun to heal.

Several other businesses have announced recruitment drives – looking to attract new talent to join the industry, or tempt back those who have drifted away during the pandemic.

Jet2.com and Jet2holidays on Friday claimed a 30% spike in bookings over the past four weeks for February half-term compared to the same period in 2020, with boss Steve Heapy saying he was “very confident” travel would this year “get back to how it looked” before the pandemic.

In a further boost, there was a rare concession from government, with the Scottish government announcing a ￡3.5 million fund to help Scottish agents recover from the impacts of Covid.

The Scottish Passenger Agents’ Association (SPAA) hailed the funding a “great relief” to the country’s trade, while boss of Aberdeen-based Munro Travel also welcomed the news, noting the financial hardship the industry has faced since March 2020.

Abta, though, warned the industry “was not out of the woods yet”, with the association pledging to continue working with officials to seek a structure which benefits “as many agents as possible”.