Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To keep framing foreign travel as a holiday?

295 replies

stopgap · 21/03/2021 12:50

I haven’t seen my parents in 14 months, as they’re in the UK and I’m in the US. I know it’s only semantics but I’m truly tired of UK politicians referring to foreign travel only in the context of a jolly. There must be thousands upon thousands of people in my position, desperate to see family, desperate for grandparents to see their grandchildren, and I resent the situation being presented from one perspective only.

OP posts:
MrsKingfisher · 21/03/2021 14:41

What constitutes a holiday? Is travelling to see people you enjoy spending time with not a holiday of sorts? It's most likely not a chore is it.

TildaKauskumholm · 21/03/2021 14:42

Surely 99% of foreign travel in the last year has been unnecessary. If you have family abroad I'm afraid it doesn't give you the right to fly around the world during a pandemic any more than I have the 'right' to go on a foreign holiday.

guest2013 · 21/03/2021 14:43

Why haven't people in this country seen their families for over a year?! The rules have allowed several times? I feel you OP, my family is in a different country and I have paperwork following my father's death that I desperately need to do there. I've booked to go in August, fingers crossed!

sirfredfredgeorge · 21/03/2021 14:48

PinkiOcelot of course it is, it is completely relevant to talk about how important it is for families to see each other, it's been another important narrative that the same people who are talking down foreign holidays, but of course seeing families doesn't count if any of the family are overseas, it's an inherently racist attitude.

But carry on, deny your racism, it's pure coincidence that they're al over 50 rich privileged white folk talking about it.

And unlike holidays, there is actually the right to family life in the UK, exactly how that squares with travel during these times is an interesting question, but ignoring it and talking as if foreign travel is only about holidays is garbage.

PandaFluff · 21/03/2021 14:49

@stopgap

I haven’t seen my parents in 14 months, as they’re in the UK and I’m in the US. I know it’s only semantics but I’m truly tired of UK politicians referring to foreign travel only in the context of a jolly. There must be thousands upon thousands of people in my position, desperate to see family, desperate for grandparents to see their grandchildren, and I resent the situation being presented from one perspective only.
I think I understand, My nan is 30 minutes down the road and hasn't met her greatgrandchild. The way things are going she may never meet her. If someone described going to see her as a leisure activity that wasn't important I would feel upset.
UntilYourNextHairBrainedScheme · 21/03/2021 14:49

There's some very bizarre black and shite thinking on show from some posters on here!

Everything that isn't work is a holiday? Think that through ...

The use of the word "fault" is very revealing and petty minded - people travelled, at a time when travel was easy and possible regularly, to where the work is rather than relying on benefits or 0 hour contract insecure work to live in their hometown, but this means that they get blame thrown at them and told it's their own "fault" they now haven't been able to see their parents in two years! What sort of mindset is it that uses the word "fault" in this context?

The OP was complaining about politician's word choices and it seems she's more right than she knew - a lot of petty minded people seem to be deliberately making inaccurate word choices out of spite towards immigrants.

UntilYourNextHairBrainedScheme · 21/03/2021 14:50

Grin I meant to wrote "black and white thinking" but my typo was probably more accurate Grin

PandaFluff · 21/03/2021 14:50

But I think its just that there isn't a word for "not a jolly holiday but a trip to help maintain family connections which might not be jolly and relaxing"

PandaFluff · 21/03/2021 14:51

@guest2013

Why haven't people in this country seen their families for over a year?! The rules have allowed several times? I feel you OP, my family is in a different country and I have paperwork following my father's death that I desperately need to do there. I've booked to go in August, fingers crossed!
Nursing homes are very locked down here
Cattitudes · 21/03/2021 14:51

We don't know yet though what the advice might be. We have been advised not to book holidays which is sensible as wherever you are going on holiday you could go another time or to a different place so for example Greece might be out but Canary Islands ok. Visiting family is to a specific place and it will depend nearer the time whether that specific place is OK, I imagine it might be a little like last year with countries going on and off the red list.

Pranct · 21/03/2021 14:54

Exactly what pandafluff said

SchrodingersImmigrant · 21/03/2021 14:57

@PandaFluff

But I think its just that there isn't a word for "not a jolly holiday but a trip to help maintain family connections which might not be jolly and relaxing"
You could say family visits. That's how most people I know call it here when they go visit their family.
SchrodingersImmigrant · 21/03/2021 14:57

😂 @UntilYourNextHairBrainedScheme

macaronirabbit · 21/03/2021 14:57

Plus, anyone in the U.K. who is following the rules hasn’t seen their parents either unless caring for them.

In the summer we met DHs parents for a few BBQs and meals out sitting outside. (Both were within the rule of 6 rule)
We have actually visited FIL during the current lockdown because MIL died (although I know that's not strictly allowed)

Branleuse · 21/03/2021 14:59

hopefully if they open the borders this year youll be able to travel to see family, even if you have to quarantine.
I know DP is absolutely desperate to go see his elderly grandmother

MixedUpFiles · 21/03/2021 14:59

I’m in the same country as my family and I haven’t seen them in over a year. We don’t live in the same city and could only see one another outdoors standing 6 feet apart while wearing masks (DH is extremely vulnerable) so they might as well live on the other side of the world.

International travel just is not essential.

UntilYourNextHairBrainedScheme · 21/03/2021 14:59

PandaFluff visiting family would cover it - two words isn't too much of a stretch (its one word in some languages...) Some countries do have different rules for that - no tourist travel allowed but visiting family is allowed with various conditions, as work travel is.

Tinydinosaur · 21/03/2021 15:00

It's either travel for work or travel for leisure I.e a holiday.
Lots of families within the UK haven't seen eachother, and there have been plenty of opportunities within the past 14 months to travel.

PandaFluff · 21/03/2021 15:01

@UntilYourNextHairBrainedScheme

PandaFluff visiting family would cover it - two words isn't too much of a stretch (its one word in some languages...) Some countries do have different rules for that - no tourist travel allowed but visiting family is allowed with various conditions, as work travel is.
Ah ok, they should say visiting family or holidays each time then I think. To make it clear they know this is not all about people wanting to go off on a jolly.
UntilYourNextHairBrainedScheme · 21/03/2021 15:03

PandaFluff it is a different reason for travel and many countries recognise that with similar rules to those for work travel.

Cocomarine · 21/03/2021 15:03

For the majority of people who want to take a foreign trip right now and can’t, I’m willing to bet that by far the majority is for a holiday.

Unless you want every sentence to be six paragraphs long (holidays, but also including x, but excluding y, not limited to z...) then what’s the problem?

And by the way, you could have a lengthy and precise sentence and someone would still complain something was wrong it.

It doesn’t matter. You know you want to see family - so who cares if the clear short hand for that is “holiday”?

changingnames786 · 21/03/2021 15:06

I'm a bit fed up of the sanctimonious attitude against holidays from those who want to visit family, "trivial" travel such as holidays keeps afloat a billion pound industry which then enables affordable foreign travel for all, family visits included.

Do you think airlines will be able to survive if they are only serving those who have more "necessary" reasons to travel?

zafferana · 21/03/2021 15:08

YABU - just this morning on the Andrew Marr show this subject came up and the point was made that it's not just holidays, it's also people with family abroad, but even if it's not explicitly spelled out, we all know people with family they can't see. Like you, my DH hasn't seen his DM or DSis since Oct 2019, because they're in the US and we're here. It's shit, but there is literally nothing more than can be done about it until more nations have vaccinated more people. Fortunately, the US and UK are doing well with their respective vaccination programmes, so hopefully travel between them will be allowed soon.

PandaFluff · 21/03/2021 15:08

@UntilYourNextHairBrainedScheme

PandaFluff it is a different reason for travel and many countries recognise that with similar rules to those for work travel.
That's good, I think they should recognise that here in UK.
PandaFluff · 21/03/2021 15:11

@changingnames786

I'm a bit fed up of the sanctimonious attitude against holidays from those who want to visit family, "trivial" travel such as holidays keeps afloat a billion pound industry which then enables affordable foreign travel for all, family visits included.

Do you think airlines will be able to survive if they are only serving those who have more "necessary" reasons to travel?

I think that if there is a way they can let some people travel then people with family abroad should get priority over people wanting to go abroad with no family/work connections. It might be that numbers have to be limited.