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.

When do people think it will be acceptable to travel abroad again?
When other countries have cases at a level below ours now

Why would said country let you in if your cases were higher than theirs? This logic is flawed.

We won’t be going anywhere but the UK for the foreseeable.

That’s because we’ve travelled widely, are at higher risk because of our age, despite having been vaccinated, and are content to keep ourselves to ourselves and wait.

We completely understand though why younger people at considerably less risk who have not enjoyed the international experiences that we did in our youth have that yearning. They’ve given up an awful lot this past year for people like us and our elderly parents and I wouldn’t begrudge them travel when it’s permitted.

Our adult children are sensible people. They would take take every precaution if they decided to go overseas (no plans yet, just UK bookings) and would do the same when they returned. They are LF testing before we see them, have no wish to harm us or anyone else and we have complete faith in their sense of responsibility. Bottom line though, they can’t be expected to limit their lives for others for much longer.

With the vaccine programme in place I think the balance has changed. The onus is now on people who still consider themselves vulnerable to take necessary measures to keep themselves safe: they can’t expect everyone else to put their lives on hold any more.

@DenisetheMenace

We won’t be going anywhere but the UK for the foreseeable.

That’s because we’ve travelled widely, are at higher risk because of our age, despite having been vaccinated, and are content to keep ourselves to ourselves and wait.

We completely understand though why younger people at considerably less risk who have not enjoyed the international experiences that we did in our youth have that yearning. They’ve given up an awful lot this past year for people like us and our elderly parents and I wouldn’t begrudge them travel when it’s permitted.

Our adult children are sensible people. They would take take every precaution if they decided to go overseas (no plans yet, just UK bookings) and would do the same when they returned. They are LF testing before we see them, have no wish to harm us or anyone else and we have complete faith in their sense of responsibility. Bottom line though, they can’t be expected to limit their lives for others for much longer.

With the vaccine programme in place I think the balance has changed. The onus is now on people who still consider themselves vulnerable to take necessary measures to keep themselves safe: they can’t expect everyone else to put their lives on hold any more.

This is very well said and very balanced. With the vaccine programme it is in fact more of a personal choice how much risk the individual wants to take in their life. Also, there has been no variant yet which has been scientifically proven to evade all vaccines entirely. This may happen in the future, but not right now. Shall we lock ourselves up forever more to all possibilities ? No! Enjoy your life TODAY. Enjoy what you can do TODAY. It may change.

I disagree that there are ways to properly relax without going abroad. We have tried UK holidays and it is just a series of days out, some rainy, some sunny. If we want a beach day we have to pack loads of stuff like windbreaks and chairs and lug it all down there with us.
If someone can suggest somewhere in the UK where DS can play outside in a warm pool while we lie reading in sunshine for a fortnight please let me know!

@Alfaix also, UK breaks are insanely overpriced and all booked up! It's just not what I would ever choose to do for my main holiday I work very hard to take.

The cost of uk holidays this year is so night, especially when compared to ones further afield and abroad.

In May we are due to got to Scotland. The accommodation, flight and car hire is costing just under £2500 - just fairly average hotel rooms, economy flight, standard car. For 2 people. Nothing fancy and most meals not included, var the odd breakfast.

In the summer we have 2 weeks in Cornwall and Devon, via Bristol and Bath, driving. The accommodation - again daily average hotel/b&bs accommodation, a mix of sc and b&b for 2 adults - is almost £3000.

Last summer we went to France via Eurostar, 3 adults. It cost less than £3000 for the travel and hotels and the hotels were of a higher quality. We could have done it a fair bit cheaper too.

We just hoping to get to UK this summer (from ire) to see our family but outside of that have written off holidays further afield until 2022. Just love holidays with gauranteed sunshine & beach tho & exploring towns & different cultures just not the same in ire/UK but for this year it's about catching up with friends & family we haven't seen in too long. I do understand young people tho wanting to travel also older people. my in laws have a boat in Greece n chomping at the bit to get out there.

[quote Frequentflier]@osbertthesyrianhamster Unfortunately my family is in India:) You can see why I am hesitating. May be on the red list any day, and rightfully so. I will wait and see how things turn out.[/quote]
When Boris Johnson returns from his trip to India it will be on the red list I reckon.😔

The thing is going abroad isn't going to be like it was a few years ago when it was book a cheap flight and go! I loved travelling pre Covid, but with all the restrictions, masks, traffic light systems, testings, social distancing... I really can't be bothered.

We are waiting till next year to go away or at least seeing what the situation is next year.

Really sad because I enjoy my holidays and

I worry I will get to a place and everything will be closed or very little open if they will suddenly change the rulings and end up in a hotel for 10 days on return.
The money with 4 of us we couldn’t afford but also the idea of being coupes up in a hotel room would have me climbing the walls.

I can see us not taking a holiday as a family again.

If we are legally allowed then we will be taking our holiday

@TooManyPlatesInMotion

People don't need to justify this kind of decision. In the same way I don't have to justify my desire for a really good cup of coffee and eggs on toast. Why shouldn't people want to get on with their lives?

This ^^

Plenty of ways to rest and relax without going abroad.

Then don't. Suit yourself and stay home. Others will find plenty of way to rest and relax abroad - which is usually cheaper, better weather, better accommodation for the money, better food and drink for the money and on and on.

@Wheresmybiscuit3

If we are legally allowed then we will be taking our holiday

I was prepared to pay and go to Italy this summer but Tui couldn't honour it and I either had to change dates, change the holiday or have my deposit back. Changed it to August 2022. So sticking to going to London a couple of times with my husband and then with friends. Also hope to meet up with family who live there.

@HelloMissus

Because people like having fun. I mean come on...

Yep, it’s all great fun if international travel brings in new variants that cause another lockdown. This winter has been Great, let’s hope we get to do it again I’m really concerned about this actually happening. With the new variants that are being found around the world and if people are coming in and out of the country it doesn’t seem like rocket science to think that the chances are that someone will end up bringing a variant back with them and who knows if the majority of us will be immune to it. For once, I hope I’m proved wrong.

The variants are already here. People breathe and this will happen. Sick of the scaremongering to keep people in fear.

How do we know the variants are all here? Some of the variants Probably still haven’t been discovered yet and I’d put money on it that some of them aren’t even mutated yet!

I agree that there is a lot of fear out there, but I think that is partly because people just do not want a return to what we have just been through. I’d happily shut all the borders and forfeit international travel this year if it meant there were no more restrictions on our island.

I want to desperately travel but I won't.
Mainly because I miss my home country and because my children don't know it. My family is not there but I still miss it.

Osbert, as you’ve made numerous contributions to this thread, I’m going to say that I find your manner towards a number of posters really aggressive.

People are expressing what their personal choices are and what they think about the whole situation regarding holidays abroad. Where they think there is a right thing that should happen, they are expressing that. Not everyone agrees and that is fine, but the vast majority of people have been able to express that without being aggressive and particularly without attacking individuals that have posted.

I didn’t say anything early on in the thread, because usually I think it’s better to enter into broad discussion, rather than making it personal, but looking back, so many of your comments have such an aggressive tone, that I feel a need to call you out. In real life I don’t think people should stand by when people, are aggressive, so I don’t feel I can stand by while it happens here. I think it puts people off joining a thread and expressing their views - and everyone is free to share their views and to disagree with each other...but surely there’s a polite and respectful way to do it and one which isn’t.

I expect there will be some kind of comeback from you, which probably will reflect what I’ve said, but I wanted to express support for the number of posters who’ve shared their thoughts (which not everyone agrees with - fine) and been shit down really aggressively. I just don’t think it’s necessary.

Because on MN, having at least 5 holidays a year, preferably exotic, is the most important thing in life.

How can you possibly live without holidays, even in the middle of a deadly global pandemic?

Wombat I've found your posts passive aggressive, lecturing, pedagogical and hectoring. I express support for the other posters who also pointed out that out and whom you neglected to select for your sin bin. I'm far from alone in this. There are over 300 posts on this thread so no one seems to have been put off responding. But again, anything I'll say you'll round on 'proving your point' (whatever that is) as I've been singled out for your lectures .

Osbert, I’m not really bothered about your responses to me. It’s been the responses to others who have reflected a different view to your own, that I’ve found aggressive. It’s not the difference of opinion - no problem with that, just the tone that I’ve found deeply unpleasant.

I don’t think I will say any more. The thread might continue further or not - it is an area people have different views on and is clearly topical, so. O doubt there’s more scope for discussion. I’d just hope people could disagree without shooting others down in a way that feels like it aims to silence them from having or expressing their view.

Wherever people choose to holiday or not, I hope they have a good and a safe time. And I hope that in the difficult decision of policy on this, the government are able to get it right - such a difficult thing to rule on at the moment.

@Keepyourdistance000

Because on MN, having at least 5 holidays a year, preferably exotic, is the most important thing in life.

How can you possibly live without holidays, even in the middle of a deadly global pandemic?

Funny thing is that these people who are having 5 holidays a year, seem to feel they need them because the rest of their life is so horrible.

Personally I'd much rather enjoy each day as it come.

@MercyBooth

I think a holiday welfare fund would be great, especially for families with young children and the disabled

There already is one. Its called the Family Fund.

Just looked it up. A brilliant organisation. Something like that for all struggling families (with or without disabled children) and disabled adults would be fantastic.

I can’t bloody wait to get away this year, abroad. We managed it last year, I see no reason why we won’t/ can’t this year. I love to travel and I love good weather. I cycle, wild swim and take my holidays in a motorhome - wild camping. The attitude towards cyclists, wild swimming (unless in the sea) and wild camping in little England is generally appalling. Rules, regulations, attitudes and infrastructure for cyclists, swimming and motorhomes in France, Spain and Germany are incredible.