According to Travel Counsellors, volumes of new bookings in the UK are now running at levels comparable with 2019, with recent changes to the UK’s travel rules fuelling strong half-term sales.
Moreover, the positive outlook for Travel Counsellors coincides with the government confirming plans to replace Day 2 PCR testing for UK arrivals with cheaper lateral flow tests, a move that is expected to further aid travel’s recovery.
In Ireland, meanwhile, booking volumes have now overtaken 2019 levels for the same time of the year.
Spain is, unsurprisingly, proving the most popular destination for Brits seeking winter sun getaways, with 16% of all Travel Counsellors’ half-term bookings for the destination.
It said winter bookings for the US, Caribbean and UAE were also strong, while for Easter, the US dominates, along with the Maldives and various other long-haul destinations.
“Yesterday’s announcement that lateral flow testing will now replace PCR testing for vaccinated travellers returning from non-red countries is another extremely positive step for the travel industry," said Jim Eastwood, Travel Counsellors global sales director.
"By removing the need for PCR testing in favour of lower cost lateral flow tests, customers can travel even more easily, for both business and leisure. As we welcome this significant change to testing, we are already seeing a surge of bookings to long-haul destinations such as the US, Caribbean and the Maldives, and today’s news will provide further reassurance to travellers.
"However, due to differing entry requirements for individual countries, leisure customers and corporate clients continue to benefit from the support of a trusted travel advisor.”
