Holidays - Here we don’t...

[DadAManger]

We are back to where we always feared we would be (again). No more holidays in Portugal. The rest of the green list is a washout, where we aren’t welcome in Singapore or Australia anyway. Now we have a new `Vietnam Variant’ and new “Nepal Variant’ - and we kept the air border with India opened far too long and now we have a spike. Where on earth do we go from here? Skegness again.

Is the Government being reasonable?

We've gone for the simplest solution. No holiday this year.

Oh surprise surprise, another variant to keep us all in fear and under threat of lock down.

Bored now. We need to just get on with it.

@Anna727b

These beaches are in Scotland and Cornwall respectively- considering everyone (who can afford it- remember lots of people cannot!) needs to holiday in the UK this year; I think we're very lucky to live here!

If you can guarantee that weather when I go there, water temperature that doesn't need a wetsuit, free parking and a beach cafe with reasonably priced, good quality food and drink, I'm there.

Only the above doesn't exist in the UK and where I am it's quicker and cheaper to get to the Med or even the Canaries, which does pretty much guarantee what I'm looking for.

I've tried to book a UK holiday for a reasonable price but I can't get one which meets our needs with a toddler and a baby.

I'm going to take an amber gamble and go Spain as planned. DH is working from home and I'm on mat leave. Quarantine will be an arse, but I'm prepared to do it. In that respect, I know we're lucky.

The UK is beautiful and it was our plan A, but just can't make it work without spending more than Spain will cost on accommodation, which I am not prepared to do.

UK holiday here - booked ages ago when we cancelled Florida, it’s just one of those things. Previous generations had to worry about bombs landing on their houses and their loved ones being blown to bits - a fortnight in Wales doesn’t sound too bad in comparison.

@Tossblanket

Oh surprise surprise, another variant to keep us all in fear and under threat of lock down.

Bored now. We need to just get on with it.

Don't really care if you're bored, you're living somewhere with a variant that isn't being kept under control. Keep it there and don't spread it around other countries because you can't be arsed to amuse yourself. Bored,really

Lots of sense being talked by @ImInStealthMode on this thread. So many people not seeing the bigger picture, all the 'just wait another year' brigade - that's what we were told last year. How much longer?

I went abroad twice last year, all perfectly legally, and was very happy to do my little bit to support the travel industry (and of course I wanted the holidays - am not totally selfless!) But the number of close family and friends who have made me feel guilty for this is shocking. I also have two holidays booked for this year and I plan to go on them if I can. I will do the quarantine/testing etc, whatever is necessary.

I feel like the government have another agenda at play here and the mixed messages are completely out of order. The whole 'you shouldn't travel' thing is just bullshit. If you really don't want anyone to travel, then make it illegal again. Lots of people will be pissed off but at least the message will be clear.

Chocolatesaltyballs I agree with you. I'm heading to a Greek island and some people I know are reacting in horror, yet they're heading off to busy locations in the UK for a fortnight. FCDO isn't advising against travel to where I'm going, I've been vaccinated, have insurance and all tests booked and am prepared to quarantine. It's my choice, I'm not doing anything illegal and I don't believe I'm any more at risk of catching Covid than when I'm on the tube in London.

Don't really care if you're bored, you're living somewhere with a variant that isn't being kept under control. Keep it there and don't spread it around other countries because you can't be arsed to amuse yourself. Bored,really hmm
You do realise this variant is in other countries already and it’s just a matter of time before it rises elsewhere even without us in the U.K. travelling?
What a dickish post

@ConstanceGracy completely agree - it's just the uk who seem to be fixated on bloody variants so we end up getting blamed for identifying them. There will be variants forever - we need to move on.

[quote chocolatesaltyballs22]@ConstanceGracy completely agree - it's just the uk who seem to be fixated on bloody variants so we end up getting blamed for identifying them. There will be variants forever - we need to move on.[/quote]
Yep!

we need to move on.

Well we won't be 'moving on' to the US. America has updated it's travel list to allow entry to more countries including most of Europe. But - they're still restricting access to high risk countries. Like the UK.

Hmm, what happened to the US/UK travel corridor which was supposed to be being discussed at the summit thingy? Does kind of prove my point that we are painted as the scary country just because of the amount of scaremongering we do. Doesn't affect me personally as I have no desire to go to the US this year however it doesn't help the overall position.

If anyone follows Simon Calder on Twitter there are lots of angry responses to one of his tweets yesterday - lots of people complaining that we are being held hostage in the UK and being blackmailed to spend our money in the UK this summer. I feel a huge revolt coming on if the government don't change tack soon.

It's the opposite of scaremongering here. Hence why we have one of the highest death tolls and rates in the world. Our deaths per million population are higher than America's, for example.

It's very simple. Biden has worked hard to protect Americans. He's opening up to other lower risk countries (including most of Europe) but quite rightly doesn't want to allow entry from high risk countries, like the UK.

Boris might be happy to import any and all new strains and let them spread, but Biden is more sensible.

Perhaps Biden is thinking not just immediate effects like hospitalisation and death. He's probably realised just how much of a health and financial burden is allowing growing numbers of people to develop Long Covid.

@Tealightsandd

It's the opposite of scaremongering here. Hence why we have one of the highest death tolls and rates in the world. Our deaths per million population are higher than America's, for example.

It's very simple. Biden has worked hard to protect Americans. He's opening up to other lower risk countries (including most of Europe) but quite rightly doesn't want to allow entry from high risk countries, like the UK.

Boris might be happy to import any and all new strains and let them spread, but Biden is more sensible.

Perhaps Biden is thinking not just immediate effects like hospitalisation and death. He's probably realised just how much of a health and financial burden is allowing growing numbers of people to develop Long Covid.

Not sure Europes are a safe country comparing to the uk (and I say this as a spanish person) . spanish numbers have slowed down and some areas are starting to see more cases and more o the Indian variant as well. their incidence is still higher than ours (40 vs 55) and they're currently vaccinating 45+

feel a huge revolt coming on if the government don't change tack soon.

From Conservative MP maybe. Polls consistently show the majority of the public isn't in favour of yet more deja vu. We've done it time and time again over the last year. Prioritised international travel over everything else. Above lives, long term physical and mental health - and the economy.

Most people want to avoid the need for another long lockdown. No more filling up hospitals and putting yet more stress on already exhausted HCP, no more avoidable deaths, no additional educational disruption. People are also keen to avoid potential long term disability and organ damage.

It's actually pretty disgraceful if the UK government prioritises foreign travel over our own UK tourism industry. Particularly after the damage suffered by UK businesses during the pandemic.

Many UK seaside towns, for example, have suffered neglect for years (since the advent of cheap package holidays and flights abroad). The government should want to encourage domestic tourism this year - to help boost struggling UK businesses.

It's actually pretty disgraceful if the UK government prioritises foreign travel over our own UK tourism industry. Particularly after the damage suffered by UK businesses during the pandemic.

A lot of the "UK tourism industry" relies to a greater or lesser degree on travel from the UK and also travel to the UK.

"Prioritised international travel over everything else. Above lives, long term physical and mental health - and the economy."

Are you sure they're prioritising the international travel? From the news right now

UK airports face losing £2.6bn this year - with 1.6 million jobs in the aviation and tourism industry at risk - unless the government looks again at restrictions on international travel.

Or doesnt the travel industry's economy and jobs matter?

uk.news.yahoo.com/news/uk-biggest-rise-covid-infections-in-europe-163022233.html

I note numbers are rising in Portugal (not as big a rise as the UK). I expect that's because of us exporting more cases to them.

@Tealightsandd

uk.news.yahoo.com/news/uk-biggest-rise-covid-infections-in-europe-163022233.html

I note numbers are rising in Portugal (not as big a rise as the UK). I expect that's because of us exporting more cases to them.

or because of the reopening , www.reuters.com/world/europe/portugal-speeds-up-vaccination-lisbon-tackle-rising-cases-2021-05-25/

@Aposterhasnoname

It’s bloody ridiculous. The people demanding we all holiday in the uk are the same ones waving pictures of packed parks and beaches and screeching about third waves. People are bing turned away from beaches, holiday accommodation is fully booked, and tripled in price and restaurants are packed.

And the “holidays aren’t essential” crowd can fuck off as well. Maybe holidays aren’t essential to those that have spent the last year or so on furlough, or working from home in their nice comfy homes with big gardens. They are bloody essential for those of us that have kept the country going this last year.

Holidays aren't essential. I've worked all the way through, in a hospital, as a nurse.

It would be hugely helpful if all the UK holiday companies hadnt seen this as an excuse to shaft UK holiday makers and whack their prices up exorbitantly. It's pure greed. A friend had a quote for a week in a self catering cottage, for five grand! It's absolutely insane. Even Haven were chargin £800 plus for standard caravan for the lon weekend over half term. Absolute piss take, no wonder people would prefer to travel abroad.

It would be hugely helpful if all the UK holiday companies hadnt seen this as an excuse to shaft UK holiday makers and whack their prices up exorbitantly.

Well given that for reasons various the "UK plc" seems intent on locking itself down TFN the lost revenue has got to come from somewhere.....

www.visitbritain.org/visitor-economy-facts

I live in the Algarve (Portugal) and it is still pretty busy here - there are also quite a few British around. Where I live (Ferragudo) everyone wears masks where required, and it is so warm that noone goes inside to eat, so there is even less chance of contracting covid.

Right now in my council area of around 25,000 residents, we have 5 people with covid and none in hospital. In the whole of the Algarve (approx 450,000 residents) we have 18 people in hospital with Covid of which 1 is ventilated. We are now vaccinating the over 40s (J&J single vaccine seems to be used the most at the moment) and the death rate in the Algarve is well under 1 per week. My son came to see me this weekend and said he felt very safe here - everything is very calm and plenty of space around.

We do have an issue in Lisbon - where the rate is currently 131 per 100,000 cases. Without Lisbon, our rate would be 49 per 100,000 cases.

Holidays aren't essential. I've worked all the way through, in a hospital, as a nurse.

Yeah I've worked all the way through as well. Not sure how that's relevant? We are being held hostage in the UK for no good reason in my opinion. The government have gone power mad.

I have lost count of the number of times that I've said there will always be new variants. Do we carry on like this forever? It's utterly ridiculous. We should not be forced to spend our money in the UK - it's like a dictatorship. (Oh and I already spend plenty of money in the UK btw, just don't want to pay for an over-priced shit-hole caravan or similar near an over-crowded beach, with mile long queues for every coffee shop and restaurant in sight).