How likely is a break in the sun? We ask the experts

AFTER months of lockdown, most of us have tired of home schooling, home working and home cooking. For many, a holiday in the sun is just what’s needed.

As airlines and holiday firms such as easyjet and Ryanair start planning their return to the skies, it seems we will have options.

It just depends on whether we are brave enough to embrace the new world of flying with the risk of coronavirus — and to defy the advice from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to only travel abroad if it’s essential.

It’s possible that we will have to allow for an extra two weeks off work when we come back because the UK is likely to enforce a quarantine — and that’s without mentioning a possible quarantine when we arrive at a destination.

However, one travel agent told this newspaper that he was hopeful the quarantine could be limited to June.

Easyjet has announced that it will resume flying on June 15 from Belfast International to a number of UK destinations, but it wasn’t the first out of the traps.

Wizz Air, which flies to Vilnius in Lithuania from Belfast International, resumed some flights earlier this month, but it has yet to name a date for services out of Belfast.

Holiday specialist Jet2.com is relaunching flights to a host of sunny spots on June 17.

Its deals include a week for two in Fuerteventura, flying from Belfast, for less than £500.

However, much will depend on whether the Foreign Office advice has changed by then, though some travellers may be so keen to get away that they accept the risk of booking now and having to change their plans later.

Sandra Corkin, the owner of travel agency Oasis Travel, said many customers had already cancelled summer escapes planned for June or July.

Many are holding out for an August getaway, however.

She added: “Out of 5,000 bookings we had, we still have 2,000 customers who are telling us that they will fly if they can.”

Retired travel agent Doreen Mckenzie was caught up in a coronavirus travel nightmare when she found herself stranded in San Diego in March after her Panama Canal cruise was cancelled.

But that has not put her off and she is planning to take the same cruise in March next year, hopefully with a happier result.

Doreen said she thought local people would still want to take holidays where they could this summer.

“By and large, the population of Northern Ireland are very resilient folk — they have taken Sars, foot and mouth disease and volcanic eruptions all in their stride,” she added.

“I think many people are desperately keen to get away and agents are getting a lot of enquiries, but they are very anxious at the same time and won’t go against the Foreign Office advice.”

GP Michael Mckenna, who runs a practice in west Belfast, said he would warn patients who are vulnerable to Covid-19 because of their age or underlying health conditions not to fly.

He said all others should be prepared to wear cloth masks on flights and observe quarantine rules when arriving at their destination and when they come home, if rules are in place.

“I don’t think there’ll be much overseas travel before August, but if there are quarantine rules in some countries, quite a number of people might have holiday homes out there, so they will quite happily go into quarantine when they arrive,” he added.

“They’ll know the lay of the land when it comes to having shopping delivered, for example.

“I’d certainly be saying to any vulnerable patients that they need to take particular care around their condition and take advice from their insurance (company).”

Colum Mclornan owns travel agency Friendship Travel, which specialises in overseas trips for single people. He is also the co-owner of the Marine Hotel in Ballycastle, which gives him a foot in both the overseas travel and staycation markets.

“We’re having bookings for later in the summer to places like Zante in Greece and Turkey. Both are well served from Belfast and from London and Manchester as well,” he said.

“Greece has had very little coronavirus and holidays to Portugal are also being picked up.”

Mr Mclornan said there was “definitely less interest” in European countries like Spain and Italy, which have been very badly hit during the pandemic.

He is hoping to get away for week himself at the beginning of July — and has set a target date of July 15 for the reopening of the Marine Hotel.

“English hotels are due to open on July 4 and Irish hotels on July 20. They’re already marketing themselves and sending out emails to customers,” he said.

“Our worry is that if the Northern Ireland Executive doesn’t soon give us a date or some guidance about when we can open, people will just go to Dublin, Sligo or Donegal instead.”