Why do people want to go on holidays abroad this summer? (Not travel to family)

[WombatChocolate]

Given we have put in huge efforts to reduce the virus in this country over many months, I struggle why people (not the holiday industry) are so keen to whizz off for a couple of weeks of sun, when we know the virus is surging in parts of the world.

What is this about?

The only thing I can think of which makes any sense to me is that they have already booked, or had a booking carried forward from last year and fear losing the money. Somehow they would rather go than sacrifice the money and that has led to large numbers wanting to go.

We all know that mutants will come into the country through travel and it’s impossible to keep them out, so why do people want to go so much?

Is it that they just love a sunny holiday so much they don’t think about the possible consequences? Is it that they do t want to lose the money? Is it that they are jabbed and so don’t believe their travel can have any consequences? Is it that they don’t know about levels of virus around the world? Or is it that because the holiday industry wants to open up (very understandably) they have been influenced by them?

I really understand people who have family abroad, how difficult the travel issue is for them and I do understand why they want to go and often feel they must go. I’m not asking about that. It’s just the standard holiday I’m interested in, because I don’t really get it.

Anyone who has thoughts about it, or is keen to go and feels like saying why.....many thanks in advance for your thoughts.

I’m desperate to get away. Change of scene, guaranteed sun, blue skies, blue sea. I love new places/food/culture/the sea. ❤️

However, holidays abroad aren’t a right. So if I can go I’ll go (following the regulations) and if we’re not allowed I’ll just have to suck it up!

@caringcarer

I have a holiday home in France, but I won't be using it this year. Going on a plane is too risky with the Aircon system. I week by the sea in Bridlington for us this year. Madness to go overseas and then bring back mutated varieties of Covid. Australia are going to lock down borders, we should be doing the same. We are an island so have this advantage but not using it. Madness.

Plane travel has been shown to be quite safe. We don't live in bloody Australia.

Because my son is 4 only once. He will never be that cute little boy again and I want him to explore and play in the sand in hot weather.

If you are suggesting taxing people who go on holiday, perhaps tax people who have nails/ hair as well- we all spend money differently - some people can’t afford to have their nails done, all so unfair right?
How do you decide who’s deserving? What a load of alienating left wing crap.

You're just as likely to catch Coronavirus from a crowded beach in Cornwall as you are abroad. Unless you're intending to lock yourself up at hone, your logic makes no sense OP.

Because I don’t want to spend a fortune on a holiday in the U.K. for it to rain the whole week! The world needs to get a grip about covid it’s not the plague and now there is a vaccine it will be no more serious than flu. I went abroad twice last year and you just can’t beat being on holiday abroad. Trying the local cuisines and nice wine in the sun. I can’t wait to get away from the U.K. living here this past year as been miserable! My sister went to Cornwall last year cost £2000 and she said it was packed she couldn’t get in a restaurant took 10 hours to get there. Me and my family went to Rome cost half the price and it was amazing. Was empty so got to visit the sights in a really lovely way so glad my children got the experience. You just don’t get that same atmosphere here!

I'm glad we went abroad last year to see family. It was the last time I saw my father alive in person. I saw him on video link before his death from Covid in December. My parents had been married for 56 years and together for 60.

I mean, damn those Beaker People, coming over here, travelling abroad from Europe when disease was so rife, bringing their wares over! We were doing just fine drinking out of gourds and animal skulls, FFS. Should have just closed our borders!

WTF were people doing making necklaces of Whitby jet and leaving their lane thousands of years ago to peddle that non-essential crap all the way to Dalriada? NO ONE needs a jet necklace! Or a footed beaker!

Everyone should have just stayed at home! Forever! There were all those communicable diseases out there, killing people. How selfish of them all.

Because Ireland is a total rip off. I priced a well known hotel (who were advertising good deals for the date I wanted) in Killarney for 3 nights for dh and myself. 945 euros. It's a nice hotel but not worth it for such a short time. A week in lanzarote for the same date was 1065 euros.

I did book an Airbnb in Tipperary for 500 for the week, I'll be bringing the kids for that one. Hopefully I'll be able to book foreign later in the year.

U.K. holidays are shit, expensive and it rains. Basically.

If you are suggesting taxing people who go on holiday, perhaps tax people who have nails/ hair as well- we all spend money differently - some people can’t afford to have their nails done, all so unfair right?
How do you decide who’s deserving? What a load of alienating left wing crap

I'm pretty much left wing but forcing people to pay a holiday tax so poor people can have overseas holidays is fucking mad.

These views aren't left wing, they are just stupid.

Far better priorities to reduce inequality & of opportunity.

People are 'forced' to pay a hotel tax in many European cities. It's not an unusual idea.

The idea of the tax came about reading posts here. People earnestly arguing that holidays were so very essential to wellbeing, so vital that it's worth ignoring the risks during a pandemic that's seen more than 150,000 dead, 1 million suffering long term illness, and UK businesses in ruin.

If, however, holidays aren't so essential that we need to fund one for everyone, than they're not so essential that we need to risk 10s of thousands of other people's lives, health, and livelihoods.

Either they're essential or they're not.

Either holidays are essential, in which case we need to fund them for those who can't afford it, or they're not. In which case we need to prioritise saving lives, health, and livelihoods, and avoiding another autumn/winter lockdown.

Thankfully not your decision or anything you can impact.

In which case we need to prioritise saving lives, health, and livelihoods, and avoiding another autumn/winter lockdown.

Which they've done...this cant last indefinitely, winter comes around every year!

Over recent years, events such as holidays, weddings, 'big' birthdays, stag/hen dos and other similar things have been upscaled, both in scale and emotionally. The desire verging on desperation for a normal summer holiday does not surprise me.

I am fortunate not to have school holiday times as the only option, so have chosen a UK holiday that is not going to cost the earth. Others do not have the choice I have, so can understand why they want a lower cost holiday abroad.

Is it that they just love a sunny holiday so much they don’t think about the possible consequences?

Yes, it's this.

I went abroad last summer. It was allowed so we went.
We wouldn't have got our money back if we;d have cancelled and tbh I didn't want to lose a few thousand pounds and get nothing for it.
It was fine. Infact it was great. At that point France and Germany, where we went, had less cases than us. We didn't catch covid. We didn't take it with us. I don't regret going. We had a lovely time.

I've got a holiday abroad booked for October. If we are allowed to go, we will go. By then me and dh will be fully vaccinated. Dd will have had one jab, quite likely both.

I've had covid - caught from school lost likely.
I've had one vaccine and will have second in May at latest.
Dh has had his first vaccine and will have second in June.
Dd is 19 and likely to have vaccine by end July and second in October/November time.

I love going away on holiday.
The summer holiday I've booked for the summer in England is costing a small fortune despite us driving there ourselves. We could go long haul for how much it's costing, for pretty average accommodation.
The May holiday I hope to have in Scotland is costing as much as a holiday in Europe.
Neither have the guarantee of heat and sun than the type of holidays abroad we normally have. That heat and sun, especially dry heat, does wonders for my arthritis. I've missed it a lot this winter, especially when I had a big flare up in December/January.

If it's allowed I will go abroad.

@marshyindigo

In which case we need to prioritise saving lives, health, and livelihoods, and avoiding another autumn/winter lockdown.

Which they've done...this cant last indefinitely, winter comes around every year!

By the next year the majority will have been fully vaccinated.

@ouchmyfeet

Is it that they just love a sunny holiday so much they don’t think about the possible consequences?

Yes, it's this.

It's more that they don't care, rather than don't think.

Why do people want to go on holidays abroad this summer? (Not travel to family)

Everyone is sick & tired of being locked away, and maybe people don't have any family to travel to?

@Tealightsandd by the summer the majority will be vaccinated.

[quote marshyindigo]@Tealightsandd by the summer the majority will be vaccinated.[/quote]
No. They'll be partially vaccinated.
Most won't have had their second dose by then.

By July the majority of adults will have had (or been offered) at least one vaccine.
By October/November all adults will have had (or been offered) both vaccines.

One vaccine is fairly effective. Both is very high for a vaccine.

Covid will be here probably for ever. At some point we have to live with it. Surely by the time most adults have been vaccinated that's the time, unless we get a new variant that attacks those who haven't been vaccinated (children at that point) - and hopefully by that point the vaccines will have been tested and approved for children. Many are being tested for children right now.

We have a holiday in France booked for August. We got it rolled over from last year

Whether or not we go is another matter. If it doesn't go ahead will either claim insurance or roll it over to next year. Play it by ear

Because transmission risk doesn't increase because 'foreign'. So keep the transmission risk low and, together with testing requirements the risk is low.

I've sacrificed enough, I've looked at the risks and data, I've chosen to go on holiday. I just hope decisions and data continue to proceed in the right direction as they are today.

If it is legal I will go. I find this self-imposed hair shirt wearing sacrifice weird. I'm happy for the self made martyrs to stay home congratulating themselves. I'll be off to get some sun.