ABTA says hundreds of thousands of people will be heading abroad this half term for winter sun and ski trips, as families look to make the most of the relaxation of travel rules.
Members are reporting that Turkey, the Canary Islands, Egypt and Portugal are popular for short haul trips, while departures to Dubai, Florida, Mexico and the Caribbean have sold well for longer haul holidays.
Ski resorts in France, Italy and Switzerland are also popular for those taking to the slopes this half term.
A snapshot of some of the biggest airports shows 200,000 passengers are set to depart from Stansted between February 11-18, plus a further 186,000 from Gatwick, and 160,000 from Manchester, in addition to around 90,000 leaving from Luton, 55,000 from Bristol and 17,000 from East Midlands airport.
According to Eurostar, more than 125,000 travellers are booked to travel between the UK and the continent during the school holiday.
ABTA says the removal of all tests for fully vaccinated adults and under-18s on return to the UK makes foreign travel much easier, including significant savings on the cost of tests.
Graeme Buck, director of communications at ABTA, said: “Today’s changes to the travel rules are the start of a new chapter for the travel industry’s recovery.
“Testing has been one of the biggest barriers to travel, so it’s hugely welcome that the process of travelling abroad is now much cheaper and easier for millions of UK holidaymakers.
“It’s great to see so many families treating themselves to some quality time together this February half term and now that the UK’s restrictions have eased, we expect many more will feel confident to travel and will start to plan their summer break.
“We expect to see increasing numbers of people turning to travel professionals to help them plan their trips, as they recognise their invaluable knowledge of the latest travel requirements and their expertise in finding the best holiday for them at a competitive price.”
More Information
As travel to the UK becomes much easier, other countries still have their own entry requirements and local measures to help prevent the spread of Covid-19.
ABTA is advising holidaymakers to regularly check the latest requirements for their destination.
