Holiday bookings up 250%

HOLIDAY bookings skyrocketed past pre-pandemic levels last night as British families rushed to book half-term breaks in the sun.

Travel companies and tour operators saw bookings spike by as much as 250 per cent after the lifting of travel restrictions finally gave people the confidence to travel again. The new rules, announced by Transport Secretary Grant Shapps on Friday evening, mean that by October half-term the fully vaccinated will no longer have to pay for expensive PCR swabs or pre-return tests, saving families hundreds of pounds.

Eight countries will be removed from the red list at 4am on Wednesday, including Turkey and the Maldives, which are already proving popular for the half-term break.

Steve Heapy, CEO of Jet2.com and Jet2holidays, said that since the announcement, Turkey had been an ‘exceptionally popular’ destination. ‘There has been a phenomenal reaction from customers since the announcement with bookings spiking by more than 250 per cent,’ he said.