What are the summer holiday staycation rules?
With overseas holidays still off the cards, can I go away for a staycation?
Not quite yet, but you can go on a day trip. A tweet from Nigel Huddleston, the tourism minister, lays out the rules: “You and your household can head outdoors for your physical and mental wellbeing in England.
“But be respectful to local people and communities.
“You must adopt social distancing at all times, then return to your primary home – no overnight stays, including second homes and holiday homes.”
Importantly, though, that’s only the case in England.
If you are travelling from England to Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland, you will need to be cognisant of any stricter lockdown rules there.
Those guidelines aren’t expected to change until June 1 at the earliest (when some schools could reopen) or, more likely, July 4 (when the “third phase” of easing lockdown could begin, in time for the summer holidays).
What about my second home?
Lockdown rules stressing that you should remain in your primary residence are still in place.
When will B&Bs and hotels reopen, and how will they be different?
There’s been no indication as to when B&Bs or hotels will be allowed to operate again, but it’s a fair assumption that, at the very least, deeper cleaning will be needed, buffet breakfasts might become a thing of the past, shared bathrooms will need to be changed and bars and dining rooms will need to involve social distancing.
Would an Airbnb be safer?
Airbnb has repeatedly extended its ban on UK bookings throughout lockdown. The most recent expires today, but don’t be surprised if that is extended again. Whether it’s safer is, of course, largely up to whether you trust the host and the hygiene standards of the property.
Will there be a ‘Covid Kitemark’ declaring places safe?
It seems likely. Visit Britain is working with the Government to create a quality Kitemark system that will “provide a ‘ring of confidence’ for tourism businesses, attractions and destinations, as well as reassurance to visitors that businesses have clear processes in place as restrictions are lifted”.
Visitors, for instance, might have to move in one-way systems and stop two metres apart, children would have to play only with members of their own household, rides would be off-limits, and so on. Quite how a Kitemark might work for accommodation is a trickier proposition.
Will camping be easiest?
It could well be, simply because campsites are already fairly well set-up for social distancing: it’s outdoors, pitches are spaced apart and selfcontained, visitors bring their own bedding, and some (like owners of caravans and motorhomes) wouldn’t even need to use the communal kitchens and showers. It’s those facilities that will cause the big issue for campsite owners, of course, but once that’s ironed out, expect to see campsites filling up again.
Will everything be more expensive?
Traditionally, the industry has responded to global crises (terrorism, economic crashes) by dropping prices in the short term – the intention being to tempt brave people into travelling again. In the medium and longer term, however, don’t be surprised if companies need to recoup the massive losses they have made during this period of inactivity, and do so in the easiest way: raising rates, fares and ticket prices.
Guy Kelly