Anyone arriving in the UK from a list of destinations, including Portugal and South Africa will be obliged to spend ten days in a quarantine hotel from 15 February. They’ll also have to pay up to £1,750pp.
It’s the latest in a list of new rules and obligations designed to prevent non-essential international travel and catch COVID variants. The government has also advised that people should not book summer holidays, on the basis it is currently illegal to take a holiday abroad or in the UK.
For now, there are certainly too many hurdles in place to expect holidays abroad to go ahead this summer. That includes the price of tests, the fact you may need to be vaccinated and now the risk of hotel quarantine.
Hotel quarantine for travellers to UK adds risk to holidays
The new coronavirus variants that have appeared in South Africa and Brazil mean that both those destinations, as well as Portugal, are on a list of 33 high-risk countries. Anybody travelling from those countries to England and Wales will need to book into a quarantine hotel approved by the government for a 10 day stay. In Scotland travellers from all countries will need to use hotel quarantine.
The government has warned that anybody who doesn’t comply with new rules on quarantine could face up to 10 years in prison.
It’s unclear how long the hotel quarantine scheme will remain, but it adds substantial risk to holidays this summer. We know from previous travel restrictions, like the travel corridors in 2020, that government rules can change quickly. Later this year you may legally be able to travel to a country not on the red-list, only to find it has been added while you are abroad. That will add thousands to the cost of a family holiday.
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Compulsory COVID-19 testing
Even if we are able to travel this summer and hotel quarantine has been removed, the cost of tests may be prohibitive for many people.
Most countries now require a negative test before departure, and a follow up on arrival. You’ll need a negative COVID-19 test to return to the UK too, plus tests on day two and eight of quarantine. That’s potentially five tests for each trip, which with PCR private tests costing around £100, may mean £500 is added to the cost of your holiday
Vaccination passport could allow future travel
The fast pace of vaccination in the UK has provided some hope that trips may be able to go ahead in the future. However, there are many caveats.
Trips abroad will depend on levels of vaccination at your destination as well as in the UK.
Trials of ‘vaccine passports’ have begun between Greece and Israel. While Saga became the first holiday company to say that it will require proof of vaccination to book its holidays and cruises. Several airlines have also introduced policies to check the vaccine and test status of passengers.
But it’s still too early to say which countries UK residents may be able to travel to, and what evidence may be required. The UK government has gone back and forth over introducing digital vaccine passports, saying earlier this week that it wouldn’t introduce them but travellers could ask their GP for proof instead.
You can see more on the future of vaccination passports here.
Is there any chance of booking a holiday overseas this year?
Not now, but maybe later. With all the unknowns above, it’s not the right time to book a holiday. That doesn’t mean holidays in 2021 are completely off the cards. It means we need to wait a little longer to see how vaccination rates bring infection levels down, and whether that can unlock travel between other countries with high vaccination rates.
If you are booking, it’s crucial to book with one of the holiday companies that offers flexible booking and promptly refunds customers in the event of cancellations.
What should I do if I already have a holiday booked?
At this stage, nothing. It’s important not to cancel yourself because you could end up losing the money you’ve already paid.
If it’s a package holiday and it ends up being cancelled by the holiday company then you are entitled to a full refund within 14 days.
If you booked flights and hotels separately then it might be more complicated. Check whether your airline is allowing fee-free changes for your dates. If you do need to change, make sure you do it in time. Some airlines will only allow you to change between seven or 21 day before departure.
Is it safe to book a holiday in the UK?
Holidays within the UK seem more possible, as you avoid the risk of hotel quarantine rules changing and the cost of repeat tests, but it’s not risk free. Local and national lockdowns caused by spiking infection rates or new variants will cause disruption. If a tier system is introduced again it could make it difficult for travellers to take trips to or from some parts of the country.
The UK government has said that it will announce any preliminary lifting of restrictions on 22 February.
If you do decide to book it’s important to choose a company that allows flexible booking. Travel insurance is unlikely to refund you for cancellations caused by a lockdown if you book while the current lockdown is in place.
You can see more on quarantine, testing and how to protect yourself if you book a holiday here.
source https://www.which.co.uk/news/2021/02/will-summer-holidays-abroad-go-ahead-in-2021/