The British public can now think about booking summer vacations abroad but there were still risks, transport minister Grant Shapps said this morning after the government unveiled details of its new traffic light system for travel.
"I'm not telling people that they shouldn't book some holidays now, it's the first time I've been able to say that for many months, I think everybody doing it understands there are risks with coronavirus," Shapps told Sky News.
"For the first time, people can start to think about visiting loved ones abroad, or perhaps a summer holiday, but we're doing it very, very cautiously because we don't want to see any return of coronavirus in this country.
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I often 'think' about winning the lottery!
It’s not going to happen as even those of us with properties in Majorca will not be returning again until 2022 unless Majorca and the EU catch up with vaccinations so that we don’t bring the virus back to the UK even though most of us in the UK are fully vaccinated. Also with Brussels playing silly games more and more Brits think stuff the EU. This fall out will greatly impact on placed such as Majorca which has been badly let down by the EU. So accept no tourist season in Majorca this year.
Jet2 not flying to Spain until 23rd June at the earliest.
Whatever any other country's rules may be, they don't dictate our policies. We can't have tourists back here until we're all vaccinated, end of. The cost of another skyrocketing of new cases here, and with the island full of tourists, would be far more than anyone could imagine. If our government fails to consider this we are in big trouble here....
I think its good that only the well heeled will be able to travel. Mallorca needs rich high spending tourists, not tattoed beer swilling full English breakfast eaters who spend nothing other than on take-away food and beer.
Alot depends on PCR test prices for amber countries which is looking like most of Europe will be. The cost is too much for a average family of 3 or 4. Also with all the uncertainty of the government saying don't book yet,most people I'm sure have already decided to wait another year and have their holidays in the U.K. I believe the U.K government has not wanted all along for citizens to travel abroad this year.
None of us want to go back to where we were, it is imperative that countries specially Europe (as it is the most visited one) speed up their vaccination programme. We do not want to bring or take back the infection with us specially as it is still unclear whether those vaccinated can still carry the virus and spread it.