Green list hols strike gold as demand soars
HOLIDAY bookings have soared by up to 600 per cent since the green list of countries was announced.
Portugal is accounting for around eight out of 10 getaways snapped up since the Government confirmed that foreign travel will be possible.
One operator said a customer had splashed out £18,000 on one break.
However, there is a growing backlash over the green list territories.
Apart from Portugal, most of the countries listed are remote or are not even allowing tourists to enter.
Yet other destinations with low infection levels and high vaccination rates, including the Greek islands, are ranked as “amber”, meaning holidaymakers must isolate when they return from there to the UK.
Reports say the holiday lists will be reviewed in the week beginning May 31, with an update the following week.
But for many disappointed families, plans for overseas breaks during the half-term school holidays are now scuppered.
The travel frenzy has landed Thomas Cook 600 per cent more bookings since Friday.
About two-fifths of recent holiday sales are for the rest of May, the travel agent said, suggesting there will be a rush to warmer climates when restrictions ease later this month.
Another firm, Not Just Travel, said bookings were up 33 per cent on Saturday.
It took a booking to Albufeira, on Portugal’s Algarve, for 10 nights for a family that cost just under £18,000.
Steve Witt, the firm’s co-founder, said: “The gold rush has started as people are desperate to ensure they don’t miss out on a place in the sun.”
The company said it had also seen strong bookings to Spain and Greece, even though they are currently on the Government’s amber list.
British Airways Chief Executive Sean Doyle said he was “disappointed” by the limited restart to international travel.
He said:“With high levels of vaccinations in the UK and other countries catching up, we need more destinations to go ‘green’ by the end of June, allowing Britons to get away this summer.”