Following the news that those arriving in England from Covid hotspots will have to quarantine in hotels, many are opting for UK holidays this summer.
The “managed isolation process” requiring returning Brits to spend 10 days in a hotel on their return to the UK has put off those wishing to go abroad so there has been an increase in UK-based holidays. However it’s not all good news as there may be a shortage of UK accommodation.
Sarah and Steve Jarvis, who run the Independent Cottages website listing more than 1,800 properties, say inquiries during the third lockdownin England are 300% up on the first lockdown in March to July 2020.
That said, they also explain that many properties have to honour bookings that were rolled over from 2020 which restricts availability for new requests.
Sarah said: “People started the year with bookings already in the calendar.
We’re going to end up in a situation where we have demand outstripping supply again.”
Steve said: “It’s almost like the perfect storm. People will be hesitant about going abroad with the new travel restrictions and the UK is looking like a very good option. People have got confidence in UK self-catering holidays, because the bookings are coming in thick and fast.”
Holidaycottages.co.uk has also seen a significant rise in demand since mid-January. James Starkey, the company’s chief marketing officer, said: “In the past week, bookings taken for May half-term onwards are up 39% compared to last year, with the summer holidays up 98%. We do still have just over half of our properties available for seven-night breaks in the summer holidays but, with them booking more quickly this year, we anticipate another strong summer for the UK staycation industry.”
The Best Western hotel chain has just carried out a survey of 6,000 of its UK customers and found that 90% of them felt safer going on holiday in the UK this summer rather than going abroad. A spokesperson for the company said: “With the worries around quarantine, we are now starting to see bookings landing for the big summer months coming through in the last 24 hours. The experience of last summer has taught people not to leave it to the last minute as Britain gets booked, so to book ahead and quit worrying about quarantine, which might impact an international trip.”
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Malta and Balearic Islands seem to be next on the green list. A quarantine period is still required for other destinations, but the Government is working on it.
There are several options available to us when it comes to deciding which kind of holiday to go on. City breaks, beach holidays, family holidays, ecotourism and romantic getaways are all common possibilities.
The Department of Health is continuously updating holiday regulations creating confusion among Brits.