I don't understand the complete obsession with holidays in the media

[RosieLemonade]

Obviously they will be banned outright from Monday (which I thought was already the case) but every day the media is reporting HOPE for holidays or BAN on holidays. I understand that aviation is a massive business and people have family abroad but I don't understand the medias utter obsession with holidays.
My much yearned for holiday was meant to start this Friday which is obviously annoying but I would much rather have domestic normality and DD be able to have a birthday party, go swimming etc.

@TheMarzipanDildo

See also the altered meaning of “staycation”. It formerly referred to having a nice break literally within your own house. It is now used to refer to two weeks in a St Ives holiday cottage!

That’s what I would call an actual holiday. I live in the north of England so it’s practically long haul 🤣

@AfternoonToffee

The question should be "what are they not reporting when reporting this?"

Like what?

Media has to spin stories these days, so much is given more weight, not much else

I don’t know anyone who expected to be able to go abroad this year anyway so I don’t know why they keep going on about it.

I don't understand it either.
I didn't book a holiday last year either.

I would be happy if all the borders closed and life within the UK could resume - kids at school without testing, kids getting to do sports and see friends, swimming, visiting relatives etc.

I don't see that the right to/profit from foreign holidays can continue to outweigh normal life any longer.

Just learn to be happy where you are.

And ideally where we are in the UK could stop being overrun with new variants (home-bred and imported) as case numbers might have a better chance to stay low if the non-essential travel would stop. BTW I think the government should be stopping inbound travellers not outbound travellers...

In the government and the media it's only a holiday if you get on a plane or boat to get there.

Because things are looking too positive so they need to find a way to generate views.... scary sells... positivity doesn't

So different people have different priorities. Surely that's not a revelation to anyone.

The best thing to do is understand that people have different motivations and priorities.

Just because holidays and travel don’t interest you doesn’t mean they aren’t important to me. I have no interest what so ever in children being at school i don’t have a school age child so it is of no concern to me (sense the sarcasm but this is exactly the same as you saying I don’t go abroad so I have no interest in holidays) I love travel it’s mine and my husbands main interest we are desperate to involve our baby in that interest for them to experience different cultures and to see family and friends we have abroad, it’s Important to me that we travel this year. You might think that’s selfish but I don’t care. I think it’s selfish that a year on from this some of us are expected to give up everything that made us enjoy life while those who had little interest in doing anything go on about how little difference it has made to their lives! We are all different.

I don’t buy the ‘what are they not reporting’ conspiracies.

The simple facts are that this story is:
-relatively straightforward (so easy to understand = engaging)
-affects a large number of people (so is relevant = engaging)
-has jeopardy/uncertainty (engaging, and can keep generating new content until point at which a decision is made)
-can use rumour/usual Westminster sources to generate the story (so it’s easy to churn out).

I don’t think it’s any more complicated than that. It’s just easy to write and lots of people are interested in it.

@user1493413286

I don’t know anyone who expected to be able to go abroad this year anyway so I don’t know why they keep going on about it.

I would like to see my family. This involves a trip overseas. It's not all about holidays. I haven't seen my sister since summer 2018, her kids are growing up without knowing us, my uncle is in serious decline... I am seriously losing the will to live

@Katie517 I would go abroad if I could afford it. You missed my post when I said I saved for five years to go abroad and my holiday was cancelled.

@user1493413286

I don’t know anyone who expected to be able to go abroad this year anyway so I don’t know why they keep going on about it.

There are thousands of people who had holidays cancelled last year that moved their booking to this year. It seemed sensible at the time. Remember we were being told that covid would be over and done with by Easter (2020!) this time last year

I'm guilty of being a bit obsessed about holidays. They're what I look forward to more than anything, and now more than ever I want a break from everyday life. I didn't book anything for this year even when 12 months ago it seemed like it would be a safe enough bet, because I had enough hassle last year getting money back on cancellations.

A big enough proportion of the nation has an interest in it, so it should be featured in the news. Making something that seemed perfectly possible now illegal is pretty important to share far and wide.

I think it’s selfish that a year on from this some of us are expected to give up everything that made us enjoy life while those who had little interest in doing anything go on about how little difference it has made to their lives! We are all different

Shocking that those people who can’t afford any type of holiday should suggest they aren’t affected by the travel ban?

You’ve given up your holidays and are suffering more than families in overcrowded flats with no gardens? Kids without WiFi and no access to school work? Or those on O hour contracts having no money to feed their families? Or even the OAPs trapped on their own with no help?

Poor you.

@BluebellsGreenbells

I think it’s selfish that a year on from this some of us are expected to give up everything that made us enjoy life while those who had little interest in doing anything go on about how little difference it has made to their lives! We are all different

Shocking that those people who can’t afford any type of holiday should suggest they aren’t affected by the travel ban?

You’ve given up your holidays and are suffering more than families in overcrowded flats with no gardens? Kids without WiFi and no access to school work? Or those on O hour contracts having no money to feed their families? Or even the OAPs trapped on their own with no help?

Poor you.

Well said.

The media do it because people want to read it, which generates revenues for them.

@likeamillpond

If MN is to believed; People can't cope without a Holiday Abroad and Proper Christmas In real life people are far more resilient.

Ive felt the same, no one in real life really mentioned christmas or holidays other than cancelled plans. Likewise no one I know has had a baby or not gone ahead with a wedding as they only needed the bride and groom with witnesses.

It seems to me that the media now sets the agenda by reporting and reporting on something until there has to be some announcement. I'm sure the news used to be more about reporting on and analysing events. There was a really interesting in depth report on the news the other week by a correspondent in Syria, interviewing different people and looking at different angles on the topic. I actually commented to DH how refreshing that was and how we need more in depth, analytical journalism about UK matters.

I consider that I do. It is reflecting the view of holidays that I think many people hold, almost as something akin to a human right, and the general upscaling of events over the last few years.

@Itstheprinciple

It seems to me that the media now sets the agenda by reporting and reporting on something until there has to be some announcement. I'm sure the news used to be more about reporting on and analysing events. There was a really interesting in depth report on the news the other week by a correspondent in Syria, interviewing different people and looking at different angles on the topic. I actually commented to DH how refreshing that was and how we need more in depth, analytical journalism about UK matters.

The kind of in depth analysis you want costs a lot of money, and with the 24/7 news cycle this kind of depth stuff just doesn't give good return on investment financially.

The media doesn't set the agenda but I would argue that press officers and journalists are closer than ever - right now press officers leak stuff to their contacts in a controlled way to gauge the feedback in the media - so instead of just announcing something blindly, they have a sense of how it's going to go. Not saying it's a good way to do things, but that seems to be the strategy from government Comms right now

I agree OP, no one is going to die due to a lack of a couple of weeks in the canaries, but I also think it runs deeper than that, for many holidays are part of “normal” life and we all want to get back to that ASAP.

I agree with you OP

@Roselilly36

I agree OP, no one is going to die due to a lack of a couple of weeks in the canaries, but I also think it runs deeper than that, for many holidays are part of “normal” life and we all want to get back to that ASAP.

I'm not going to die due to a week in the canaries, no. But a relative is likely to die before I can see him because I live on the other side of the world to my family.

Travel is not only about holidays. Lots of people have to travel to see family (sometimes it's a nice holiday destination, often it isn't)