Holiday bookings in Portugal have “exploded” after the country was added to the government’s list of green travelers, Thomas Cook said.
The European nation is one of 12 destinations travelers can visit from May 17 without needing to isolate themselves on their return to England.
Thomas Cook said on Friday night it took more bookings for trips to Portugal in a single hour than it did during the whole of April.
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Searches in Portugal increased by 264%, while requests for Gibraltar – another destination on the green list – increased by 277%.
Company public relations director David Child said tourists appeared “ready, ready to go” when Transport Secretary Grant Shapps unveiled the relaxed rules at a Downing Street briefing.
Despite the surge, he said bookings are lower than they normally would be at this time of year – and although the price of flights may go up, many hoteliers are “not raising their prices yet” because they are “desperate for custom” and have rooms to fill.
Other destinations on the green list include Israel, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Brunei, Iceland and the Faroe Islands, as well as several small remote islands that are British overseas territories.
However, not all of these regions accept UK tourist arrivals – entry into Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Brunei and the Faroe Islands is strictly limited.
No international travel plans have yet been announced in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, but these administrations are expected to introduce “broadly similar” measures.
Airlines and vacation companies, many of which are struggling to survive after …
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Source: news.sky.com
This notice was published: 2021-05-08 01:24:00
