image courtesy of Getty Images Following the announcement that fully vaccinated travelers returning from amber-list countries will not be required to self-isolate after July 19, demand for flights and vacations has soared. Airlines reported a surge in ticket sales within hours of the government’s announcement on Thursday that quarantine requirements will be relaxed. EasyJet reported a 400% spike in bookings to amber-list destinations. Flight and vacation rates are not expected to climb, according to analysts. The Independent’s travel writer, Simon Calder, believes that some places may see lower prices as airlines and vacation providers offer more capacity. “I’m not seeing any price increases because there is so much of the world that has suddenly opened up to those of us who are lucky enough to be jabbed,” he said. Prices, however, “may well climb as more people book,” according to the travel agents’ group Abta, because the sector is “very much dominated by supply and demand.” “However, this must be viewed in the perspective of starting from a low booking base,” they continued, “and there are now some good value packages on offer.” image courtesy of Getty Images According to past study, holiday prices “stayed the same or went down, not up” before and after government green-list announcements. It stated that costs to popular destinations on the amber list have not increased thus far. Twelve packages kept the same price and two climbed out of 14 package holiday rates and six flights to Greece, Italy, Spain, and Portugal it tracked departing during the peak holiday season in August. Four of the six flights saw a price increase, with an average increase of £7. Which? Travel Editor Rory Boland advised people to take news of price hikes “with a pinch of salt.” “As demand stays relatively low and airlines are able to add more capacity to routes,” he noted, “repeated examinations by Which? have found flight and holiday prices do not rise because the government has loosened restrictions on overseas travel,” he added. The quarantine for fully vaccinated people on the Amber List is coming to an end. What are the most recent modifications to the holiday green list? I’ve had all of my vaccinations, but how can I verify it? What are the rules for vacationing in Portugal, Malta, and Spain? The requirement to quarantine upon return to the UK has hampered the tourist industry’s recovery from the pandemic, with many people opting out of taking vacations abroad. Previously, persons returning to the UK from the country’s major holiday destinations – Spain, France, the United States, and Italy – were required to self-isolate for up to ten days. Despite being double-jabbed, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps stated Returning Britons from amber-list places would no longer be obliged to isolate, but they would still be required to undergo a Covid-19 test before arriving home and a second test on or before day two. Children under the age of 18 will not be required to isolate themselves, but they will be required to complete tests. The red-list travel restrictions have not changed. image courtesy of Getty Images Following the government’s announcement, EasyJet reported a 400 percent increase in flight bookings from the UK to amber-listed nations, with holiday bookings up more than 440 percent from the previous week. According to the airline, Alicante, Malaga, Faro, Nice, and Corfu are among the most popular summer destinations. EasyJet CEO Johan Lundgren stated that Europe had “now turned green for the double-jabbed.” “We’ve always stated that vaccination is the key to unlocking travel, and this means that millions of people will be able to reconcile with loved ones overseas or take that long-awaited vacation this summer,” he added. “We do not want to see a return to flying being a preserve of the rich,” he said, urging the government to “eliminate expensive testing” for fully vaccinated people traveling to green and amber-list areas. British Airways said it had a 96 percent spike in the amount of views on its website “within a few of hours” after the government’s announcement, compared to Wednesday last week. Barbados, Palma, Ibiza, New York, Antigua, Malta, and Malaga were among the top places sought, according to the business. From July 19, fully vaccinated UK residents arriving in England from destinations on the amber travel list will no longer be required to quarantine. They will still be charged for PCR tests prior to and after their return, but they will not be required to do a day 8 test. The guidelines apply to people 14 days after receiving their final immunization dosage. Quarantine will not be required for minors returning from places on the Amber List. From July 19th, the advice that people should not travel to countries on the Amber List will be deleted. The next review of countries on the green, red, and amber lists will take place on July 15th, which is the following Thursday. However, Mr Shapps warned that “an amber list nation might yet turn red,” implying that hotel quarantine would be required. Anyone coming in England from a country on the red list must still be quarantined in a government-run hotel. Companies that provide vacations have also seen a rise in demand. Tui’s spokeswoman told the BBC that the travel company has witnessed a “surge in website views, indicating extraordinarily strong demand.” Mediterranean regions such as Spain and Greece were the most popular destinations among their holidaymakers, according to the business. Customers who were using travel agencies for the first time were welcomed by Hays Travel, who were “secure in the knowing that they will be there for them if anything changes.” “Our customers are filled with hope as they plan for popular destinations – nearly a quarter of our bookings are for Spain this summer – as well as once-in-a-lifetime vacations,” the operator added. image PA Media has the copyright to this image. The Association of Independent Tour Operators’ director, Noel Josephides, told the BBC that his company’s passenger numbers to Greece in 2021 had “finally equaled” its postponed and new bookings for 2022. “This is the first time this year that this has happened, and it’s a significant milestone after months of deferrals, refund credit notes, and cancellations while travel restrictions were constantly changing,” he said. Mr Josephides, on the other hand, believes the government should “assist in reducing” the cost of PCR tests to “about £10/£12 per test, as is the case in Europe.” The economy of the United Kingdom Industry of tourism and recreation Lockdown measures for the Coronavirus Pandemic of Coronavirus Vaccines against the Coronavirus Traveling by plane Tourism Holidays/n
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