Flight and holiday bookings soar after roadmap plans released

ByMarsha Hemmings (World News)

Feb 23, 2021 Flight and holiday bookings soar after roadmap plans released

Travel firms and airlines have confirmed bookings have soared since the Prime Minister announced plans to leave lockdown.

Flight and holiday bookings soar after roadmap plans released: His statement said that foreign travel will be permitted from 17th May at the earliest. The date is to allow people to organise their travel plans for the summer. After the announcement TUI reported their best day of booking for more than a month. Spain, Turkey and Greece have shown the strongest interest.

According to the BBC Easyjet have reported a 337% surge in bookings. Popular flight destinations seem to be Alicante, Malaga, Palmo, Faro and Crete. The strongest month for bookings is August, followed by July and then September. Chief executive of travel trade organisation Abta, Mark Tanzer, said these bookings are essential for both “travel businesses whose revenues have been wiped out” and for “millions of people who are desperate to travel again”.

Paul Charles, chief executive of travel consultancy The PC Agency said “It’s the news the travel sector really wanted. It means more consumers can be reassured that their 2021 summer trip can take place, or they can get a refund or refix their travel date.

They can book knowing that this summer will be even safer than last. We will need to see the finer details in the future reviews for the sector’s restart but the Prime Minister’s comments are certainly far more positive and realistic than those made by some ministers just two weeks ago.”

British Airways chief executive Sean Doyle said it is “critical we start looking at a way to restart travel”, adding that he is “pleased the Government has acknowledged that”.

He went on to say “We support a data-led approach that protects public health. We want to work with Government’s task force on a road map now to ensure that aviation is in a strong position to support the UK as we emerge from the pandemic.” Chief executive of trade body Airlines UK, Tim Alderslade, said “We’re grateful to the Prime Minister and Department for Transport for providing the clarity the whole sector was looking for that international travel can reopen this summer, as soon as it is safe to do so.

This will provide much-needed reassurance not only to airlines in desperate need of a summer season but families looking to visit friends and family and take a long-awaited holiday, and we know there is enormous pent-up demand for when we can restart operations.”