However, it means the UK’s domestic travel industry has effectively gained another month of increased demand, with the knock-on effect on confidence in international travel meaning many more people will be encouraged to swap their foreign holiday for a break in Britain.

While UK tourism will surely see record domestic demand again, the picture is not as rosy as some would believe. Social distancing restrictions on transport, in venues and throughout hospitality remain, while staffing issues are emerging due to both Covid and Brexit. No wonder some in the industry are getting hot under the collar.

The poster child of English tourism is Cornwall, even more so this year after it was thrust into the limelight by the G7 summit. Tourism chiefs there are expecting another record summer, but as Visit Cornwall chief executive Malcolm Bell highlighted, some issues are already emerging.

Bell told TTG of the “niggling” limitations on hospitality, with pubs and restaurants remaining table service only and theatres limited to 50% capacity. He also revealed the Delta variant of Covid-19 was starting to have an impact, particularly among younger people, on whom Cornwall’s accommodation sector relies to staff its summer season.

“Two hotels have had to close because they did not have enough staff by the time everyone had isolated,” he said, adding there was a “real worry around the challenge of staffing” until younger people are vaccinated.

“We managed last summer with 2.5 million visitors without any transmission, but the Delta variant does seem to be more transmissible in the fresh air. Lots of places are restricting lunch bookings to residents only. Labour supply is becoming a critical issue.”

Bell called for the reinstatement of the Additional Restrictions Grant for affected businesses plus help for theatres, which are either capacity-restricted or closed. However, Cornwall expects to pick up a lot of business from the extension of the amber list. “Most people think these bookings will come to us, with Portugal now back on the amber list,” Bell said.

A phenomenon this summer has been the prevalence of “spread booking”, whereby UK accommodation has been booked under free cancellation guarantees. Clients have then booked a foreign holiday for the same period, hoping their destination abroad reopens – a hope that is now fading.

Visit Cornwall now has a Facebook page to highlight late availability, but inevitably, rates have skyrocketed. “Even if you are on a reasonable salary, rental properties are very scarce [and expensive],” said Bell.

Some in the hotel sector are upbeat about this summer. Elite Hotels has four properties in the south of England, and managing director Graeme Bateman said the 17 May reopening brought “instant demand” for dining, spa days and overnight stays.

“Demand remains strong during summer, and we are running at capacity on many weekends in the school holidays,” he added. “The domestic staycation has certainly masked the loss of international travel, but we are eager to welcome back our overseas guests as soon as we possibly can.”

‘Wait and see’

Those overseas visitors are sorely missed in Scotland, where they make up 20% of the total, but provide 40% of spending. For some businesses, particularly attractions like historic sites, they are vital.

“Scots will not necessarily go and find out about their history and culture, whereas that’s what international guests are attracted to,” said a Visit Scotland spokesperson. “Domestic tourism will never make up the numbers, and definitely not the spend.”

Scotland does, however, have a better record of looking after its tourism businesses than England. This week, it announced another £1.6 million for coach operators whose vehicles lie idle, on top of an earlier £10 million grant.

For those offering touring itineraries, social distancing rules have made many tours unviable. Rail holiday specialist Ffestiniog Travel offers 19 escorted and unescorted UK tours and breaks, as well as tailor-made options. It has seen no escorted tours depart since February 2020 but would have been in a good position to reap the UK break boom had restrictions been lifted on 21 June.

However, managing director Maria Cook said all escorted tour departures were cancelled until September. “The problem we have is a lot of these are based around heritage railways and they are running at reduced capacity.”

Another issue in putting together tailor-made tours is that heritage railway timetables are only valid until the end of July, making planning difficult. “I can only assume they are waiting for the government to relax the restrictions, which will enable them to increase capacity,” Cook added. "This will also enable railways currently only operating part of their lines to return to full running."

Demand for tailor-made is low at the moment. “We are accepting tailor-made bookings, but no one is requesting them until September.”

After this date, things are more positive. “We have our Wales and Scotland tours hoping to depart in early September. They are both sold out and we’re creating a wait list for a second tour, but it’s a case of wait and see.

“We have more than £60,000 of bookings for 2022, the majority for January and February, so that’s great; but with all the recent delays people are thinking it’s not worth booking.”

‘Numb’

Cook sums up a familiar sentiment. “After 15 months, we’re numb to it. We just have to hope September sees an opening of travel of some sorts. We’re resigned to it; we’re hoping pent-up demand will come to fruition and we’ll hit the ground running.”

Visit Scotland, however, points to another concern when something approaching normality resumes. Like Cornwall, it highlights recruitment as a problem now and in future.

“EU workers who have gone home may not return to the UK as they see it as more challenging to work in – and in hospitality in general many of them have found other jobs,” said the spokesperson.

“Staffing is an issue now and will be a bigger one – hospitality may not be the first job people think about going back into.” It’s yet another bridge the industry will have to cross on the road to the “new normal”.