To think going on holiday at the moment is selfish and unnecessary

[OverTheRainbow88]

I think it’s totally unnecessary and selfish for people to go abroad on holiday at the moment. I’m not talking about people that need to go abroad for other reasons, such as ,work or to see ill relatives etc. I think getting our children back to school trumps a holiday.
However, lots of family and friends are going away abroad for holidays, do others agree with me or am I being unreasonable?

Icedaisy - and if she'd been on holiday in England and caught it would she still be selfish and deserving of the Fb shaming? Or if she'd picked it up in the local pub, or whilst having dinner in a restaurant down the road, or travelling on the bus to work or perhaps whilst visiting a local attraction for the day??

@yahoosername

"I guess that situation doesn’t count as a normal holiday because they fancy some sun, but it was needed for mental health."

Isn't the reason anyone goes on holiday to improve their mental health?

I thought that it was for the Instagramability these days.

Seriously though, if someone flies off on holiday and quarantines on return then they are not selfish. Those who fail to quarantine when they've been to a destination not on the exempt list are certainly selfish pricks though.

Came home from Corfu last night. Fabulous weather, quiet resort, ate and drank outdoors for the whole week. If there is any risk it will be on the plane or at Corfu airport (which was manic and not socially distanced at all).
We are going to have to live with this though, shall we all stay at home forever?

YABU. As long as period follow the rules and quarantine if required, they aren’t being selfish.

I think you are selfish and unnecessary for condemning countries and the families who live there who are hugely reliant on tourism to poverty, debt and in some cases death. How about that?

I'm Clinically vulnerable when it comes to Covid but still went abroad. I made a conscious decision about the risks. We chose our locations and hotels carefully. We followed all the English guidelines whilst away m, and also where they were stricter in France we followed this Erik - for example much more mask wearing than expected in England.

I've felt more at risk shopping at a supermarket - which was so busy and crowded I decided to leave and go elsewhere - than at any time whilst away.

I've seen long queues outside bust pubs in town and decided not to go in them as they would have felt much more risky than at any time on holiday, where all our meals were sat at SDed tables outdoors.

I don't but do you see how this can be viewed 2 ways? Currently on my way home from Malta. Less cases in the entire country than there currently is in my home town. Most of the restaurant and hotel owners are hoping that tourism picks up for the winter sun as they are on their knees after a spring and summer with so few tourists.

@IndiaMay

I think you are selfish and unnecessary for condemning countries and the families who live there who are hugely reliant on tourism to poverty, debt and in some cases death. How about that?

This!

I do agree with you, OvertheRainbow but, to be fair, things are getting better regarding the pandemic.

A cousin of mine and her husband went to France a fortnight or so ago and are now quarantining back home. It doesn't really affect anyone else but they don't have school children.

I have to say I don't see why it is so important to go abroad at this time, particularly as we have had some gorgeous weather here, but some people do :-).

Regarding getting children back to school I suppose you are meaning a) being away on holiday when term starts or b) quarantining on return so unable to go to school. From what I hear, many parents are not happy about haphazardly applied school restrictions and feel that some children will be sent home anyway so are not bothered. I can't say I blame them for that. I do feel sorry for the teachers who can't do right for doing wrong and are at risk of infection but that's how it is right now.

I agree, it spreads the virus. If you could go overseas without using flights, airports and travelling around it would be slightly safer, but as things stand we only have to look at what is happening now in popular destinations in Europe - huge surges in new infections (France now faces a second national lockdown) and Spain in particular is in real trouble to know that holidays have made things much, much worse. The evidence speaks for itself.

It won't be safe to travel again until there is a vaccine or highly effective treatment for covid which prevents the virus from calling people.

It may not be what people want to hear but it is true.

I believe the majority of people are sensible here in the UK, and have holidayed carefully and with consideration (mainly in the UK) and that is why our infection rate although increasing slightly, has not hit the 7000 mark and is currently under control. Thanks for everyone's efforts I think we are in the best position possible as we head into the autumn. The same can not said for everywhere sadly.

I've been on holiday this summer.
I live in one of those places I'm supposed to go on holiday to, to save the UK tourism industry. It is full of people travelling here from places with higher rates of covid infections.

**killing

@Aragog I know! And the thing is nobody would of known then. As I said in my next post for me it's personal because I'm so anxious I just couldn't cope so for me I wouldn't go.

Currently, in the UK, the police have been blocking the roads into Cornwall, etc as it is 'full'

Where on earth have you read that. It's not true

@marsiettina

Why only abroad? People are going on holiday all over the U.K. and potentially spreading Covid to other regions. If you believe that people should not go on holiday, then it should apply to staycations as well. Everyone stays in their local area bubble in order to not infect other areas.

The key bit is how you get there. If you are travelling by plane or on public transport then you potentially have a superspreader event. By car is less risky.

Its been two weeks since I've been back from my THIRD holiday and I haven't caught it. The places I went were much safer than the UK and it worked wonders on my mental health. No I don't think it's selfish. I think it's selfish to call out on people who have had enough of these draconian measures which is a mild disease on the majority. I've had it btw. I think it's selfish to fuck up our economy and be part of that. Guess what? Flu season is approaching so I guess people like yourself should stay locked up in your homes forever.

Going on foreign holidays is always unnecessary. They're luxuries, not necessities.

And yes, it can be selfish. Our demand for affordable, frequent foreign holidays hollows out and destroys local economies, environments, and cultures. Mass tourism is a scourge, not a boon. We ruin places with high rise hotels and cheap restaurants because we want a nice week in the sun, and then tell ourselves we're doing them a favour by propping up the economy which wouldn't need propping up were it not for our demand for holidays.

I'm not saying we should never go on holiday but we need to have a serious rethink about our attitude towards them.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/uk-england-devon-53751362

We went only to countries with rates lower than ours and travelled by car in our own bubble. Significantly safer than cramming into Cornwall. The country we stayed in were at 9 per 100000 England at 18. Had an incredible summer so pleased we did.

I am not even slightly ashamed of my trip to Venice in July. I had never been. The planes were nearly empty. The city was quiet and very welcoming and it helped us all enormously.

We left plenty of time before a return to school / work.

It was amazing.

I agree, it spreads the virus. If you could go overseas without using flights, airports and travelling around it would be slightly safer, but as things stand we only have to look at what is happening now in popular destinations in Europe - huge surges in new infections (France now faces a second national lockdown) and Spain in particular is in real trouble to know that holidays have made things much, much worse. The evidence speaks for itself.

Totally agree. Also travelling is not a necessity at any time. Travelling during a pandemic is ludicrous.

We may go in the Autumn, I'm retired and DH wfh so quarantine not a problem also have no DC to worry about school with so YABU.

@Lockheart

Going on foreign holidays is always unnecessary. They're luxuries, not necessities.

And yes, it can be selfish. Our demand for affordable, frequent foreign holidays hollows out and destroys local economies, environments, and cultures. Mass tourism is a scourge, not a boon. We ruin places with high rise hotels and cheap restaurants because we want a nice week in the sun, and then tell ourselves we're doing them a favour by propping up the economy which wouldn't need propping up were it not for our demand for holidays.

I'm not saying we should never go on holiday but we need to have a serious rethink about our attitude towards them.

Yes let's all have a serious re think and watch the tourism industry die, alongside those people who rely on it for an income. All whilst greedy cottage owners in sodding Cornwall (who don't want us dirty germ ridden tourists btw - remember those days?) make millions in rent.

I know who I would rather support.

I believe the majority of people are sensible here in the UK, and have holidayed carefully and with consideration (mainly in the UK) and that is why our infection rate although increasing slightly, has not hit the 7000 mark and is currently under control. Thanks for everyone's efforts I think we are in the best position possible as we head into the autumn. The same can not said for everywhere sadly.

This was not the picture I saw on a UK holiday at all! Beaches, pubs, city centre, rammed and nobody really bothered. It was like Club 18-13 Magaluf only in Dorset 🤣

I do also think it’s unfair on the countries we are going to. Lots of my family live in Spain. They had a really strict lockdown, barely went outside and now they say all their sacrifices are being ruined by tourists.