2020. It’s the year when itchy feet became unbearable, holidays were cut short, and plans were cancelled or optimistically postponed to a later date.
But on February 22nd, a glimmer of hope was provided by a roadmap out of lockdown – and plans for adventures in 2021 and 2022 started to form in the minds of every traveller.
But where can we travel in 2021? Where can we go to at what stages of lockdown, and where is it looking like the travel trends might be heading over the coming months?
Where can you travel after 12th April?
Currently, the date that domestic travellers need to keep in mind is the 12th April, as it is after this date that staycations and domestic travel in the UK, for the purpose of a holiday, will become legal again.
You will be able to travel all over England, provided you stay in your own self-catered accommodation and as long as you travel as one household.
That means walking holidays in Cornwall, trips to the Lake District or holidays in Dorset should be back on the cards, but only in England. When it comes to Scotland and Wales, the picture is a little murkier.
Neither country has announced any concrete plans or dates for when holidays can start again, but in Wales the thought is that they’ll be planning to open up to some tourism at around Easter time.
In Scotland meanwhile, the country will be moving into a tiered system of restrictions, leading to an easing of lockdown, at the end of April. This means it will probably still be some time before we know whether we can travel to Scotland and see stunning Edinburgh or the majestic Scottish Highlands again.
Needless to say, holidays abroad will not be allowed on 12th April.
Where can you travel after 21st June?
Now this is the date that’s really on everyone’s radar. The day that’s been earmarked for the end of lockdown in the UK from the 21st June, if everything goes to plan, we should be able to go abroad again.
This does depend on the vaccine rollout in other countries – certainly don’t expect the world to be back to normal by June. Regardless, but the plan is that travel beyond our borders will be possible, which is more than enough to fire up our wanderlust for the summer.
Countries like Greece, Cyprus, Spain and Portugal have made plans to welcome UK tourists this summer, provided they have some way of proving immunity to Covid-19.
Our product team was recently at the virtual ITB travel fair where Greece’s tourism minister, Haris Theoharis, announced that they hoped to welcome tourists to the country from the UK this summer from 14th May, and it’s thought that Spain and Portugal will have similar plans.
Just think, that means that this time in 5 months you could be relaxing on a wellness holiday in Portugal, surfing and hiking, practicing yoga and meditation, simply being kind to yourself after what’s been a long and strange year.
Or you could find yourself sipping wine in Spain, touring Andalucia in total luxury and sampling the best food, wine and culture the region has to offer.
When will we all be able to travel again? Unfortunately, it’s difficult to say, but that hasn’t stopped us seeking out the very best things to do and places to go across the globe.
We’re excited to start sending our customers on the experience of a lifetime again, so in the meantime, check out some of our most popular retreats and holidays at the moment, from cooking holidays in Italy to self-drive tours of western Norway.
Who knows, perhaps by 2022 – or even the end of 2021 – the world will be an open book of endless opportunities for unique experiences and off the beaten track gems, ready to be explored again. But for now, our sights are set on staycations come the 12th April, and international travel either in late May or June.
31/12/2020 
Features 
