Travel firms lay on extra flights for great escape
THOUSANDS more flights are being put on for Covid-weary Brits desperate for a foreign getaway. Bookings have soared by up to 600% since the Government’s green travel list was published.
So far only 12 destinations have been approved by the Government, including the chilly South Sandwich islands and popular Portugal.
But easyJet have put more than 80,000 extra seats to green-list destinations on sale.
The news delighted
Joao Fernandes, head of tourism in Portugal’s Algarve region. He told
The Mirror: “We... are very ready to welcome British visitors.”
Portugal is accounting for around eight out of 10 getaways snapped up since Friday’s news. Operator TUI said one customer had spent £18,000 on a break. It added: “We’ve had the best day of sales for summer 2021 holidays since the initial road map announcement.” However, there is a growing backlash over the green list of quarantine-free countries. Apart from Portugal, most are either remote or not allowing tourists to enter. Johan Lundgren, easyJet chief executive, said: “We are disappointed that so few countries were put on to the green list as it is simply not justified by the data or the science and is inconsistent with the approach to reopen the domestic economy.
“However, easyJet is the biggest operator from the UK to the European countries which are on the green list, and we have increased our flights to these destinations... and we are ready and able to ramp up.”
There is also widespread disappointment that other favourite holiday destinations such as Spain and Greece are not yet on the list.
But it has not stopped Brits booking them. Steve Witt, of Not Just Travel, says he has taken bookings to Spain and Greece, even though they are currently on the Government’s amber list.
Mr Witt said: “The gold rush has started as people are desperate to ensure they don’t miss out on a place in the sun.”
British Airways chief executive Sean Doyle, said he was “disappointed” by the limited restart to international travel.
Health experts have also claimed the Government’s travel plan does not take into account how Covid variants may come back into the UK.
Martin McKee, professor of European public health, said: “If everyone from England going to Portugal was only mixing with people from Portugal, that would be one thing. But if you go to a Portuguese resort, it is likely you would be mixing with people from other places. The criterion you should be looking at is not the infection rate and vaccination rate in the host country, but among the people who you’re likely to be mixing with. It’s an obvious flaw.”
Gold rush has started – people are desperate not to miss out
STEVE WITT OF TRAVEL FIRM NOT JUST TRAVEL