Press Release

At this very moment, the rules are straightforward: you are not allowed to travel overseas for non-essential reasons.

But this could soon change. As part of the road map issued last month the Prime Minister said that May 17 is the earliest date that we will get away. On April 12, a newly reformed Global Travel Taskforce will report on whether it is safe to do so by May 17. 

If all goes well, within the a few weeks, many of us will dare to start dreaming about the realities of travel once more. By Easter those most vulnerable to the disease in this country should have been protected and there will be hopefully no reason for the Government to prevent from travelling abroad if we so wish.

We will only be able to visit other countries if they decide it is safe to let us in but many will be keen to see British holiday makers return as soon as possible, and many of us will want to grab the first opportunity to get away.

At 11pm on 31 December, the Transition Period will have concluded and new rules for travel to the EU will apply. Brexit will be complete. Notwithstanding the current travel bans imposed on the UK by many member states due to the new Covid mutation, the ease with which British passport-holders have been able to travel to the bloc is about to be replaced with new procedures.

Covid restrictions

Perhaps 2020 was the year you’d planned to travel in a big way. The year you’d seek out secret beaches muttered about by in-the-know locals. The year you’d camp in a rainforest, see waters lit by bioluminescence and have a celebratory swig of something strong atop a wind-battered mountain. 

The Canary Islands have been granted a travel corridor, transport secretary Grant Shapps has confirmed via Twitter.

The islands have been added to the government’s safe list alongside the Maldives, Denmark and Mykonos, which is restored having been previously removed.

The only country to be removed from the list this week is Liechtenstein, Shapps confirmed in a second tweet.

Following an update to the implementation of changes to corridors last week, the new rules will apply from 4am on Sunday, October 25.

Travel agents are the first responders in our industry.  Chaotic government guidelines coupled with fears over financial protection and insurance coverage make people reluctant to travel at all. As travel has become increasingly complicated, it is the role of travel agents to step in and restore consumer confidence and reassure travellers that the world is still open for exploring.

Indeed, recent research from OutThere magazine reports a staggering rise from 42% to 66% globally from direct booking to booking through a travel agent or tour operator. And this is set to soar.

The German word “fernweh” describes a debilitating “longing for distant places” – which avid travellers suffer more than most

But the pandemic, of course, has grounded us and curtailed even the making of future plans to escape. Consequently, many of us are beginning to feel quite sick of home – of the kitchen and cooking, of the television blaring bad news, of the neighbours and their infernal strimming machines and, now that autumn is upon us, leafblowers.

As the vestige of European summertime slips beyond the western horizon, our thoughts traditionally turn towards the prospect of winter sunshine. Perhaps a little Bajan calypso? A touch of shopping in Dubai? And now, mojitos in Havana?

Yet never in recent times has it been so hard to predict what will be available. 

Soon 2020 holiday blues will finally come to an end, there's a faint whiff of optimism in the air that holidays may not be too far away, and everyone is finally crawling out of social hibernation to start the new decade once and for all. Never ones to be left behind, we are already thinking about what 2021 holds. To help your fill your calendar with exotic destinations to daydream about, here are our predictions for the best 2021 holidays to help you craft your "Very Far In Advance Travel Plans"

Double Up on Lions in South Africa 

The Foreign Office (FCO) currently advises against all non-essential travel to every country in the world and this advice runs until April 15, but the travel ban may be extended, so don’t assume travel after this date will go ahead.

However, if it's you who doesn't want to travel abroad this summer, don’t assume you’ll be able to get your money back yet.

Which? Travel editor Rory Boland says: “The best advice we can give at this stage is not to cancel just yet, and wait until the FCO updates its advice against all foreign travel.