That holiday destination list....

[ShamedBySiri]

As I haven't got spare cash for an overpriced holiday abroad I have been able to laugh at the list. Though I would love a trip to Portugal or Iceland, both places I have had great trips to in the past. But the rest of the list??? I've seriously wondered if the government are just trolling us now!

South Georgia anyone? I'm not sure if there is even any permanent habitation there? Obviously if you are the next David Attenborough and want to study the penguins I'm delighted that you should be able to pursue your career. And I love penguins. But it's not exactly a practical holiday destination for most of us.
It would probably take the best part of a week to get there for starters (and another week to return obv).

Where do you fancy going to on the list?
(Australia and New Zealand are out as they aren't letting us in).

Ffs it's a travel list not a holiday list.

Honestly people shouldn't get too downhearted about the current list. The strong likelihood is that many more destinations will be Green by the end of June - this initial list was always going to be very limited.

Of course the government aren't being very optimistic in their messaging around this, and it definitely dampens confidence around booking and travel for the summer. But the reality is that things should be much more positive in a month's time.

Actually I think the bigger concern is around border force - they need to sort the situation at airports out or it's going to be an untenable situation once people actually start travelling for leisure.

@elessar

Honestly people shouldn't get too downhearted about the current list. The strong likelihood is that many more destinations will be Green by the end of June - this initial list was always going to be very limited.

Of course the government aren't being very optimistic in their messaging around this, and it definitely dampens confidence around booking and travel for the summer. But the reality is that things should be much more positive in a month's time.

Actually I think the bigger concern is around border force - they need to sort the situation at airports out or it's going to be an untenable situation once people actually start travelling for leisure.

I agree with you but the problem is that tour operators have no certainty around what flights they should be running. I have a Greek island holiday booked for July and I think it should be green by then, but will the tour operator cancel before then because they can't afford to be changing plans at the last minute? Maybe

I think it's wise for now. Although I wish there were distinctions drawn between holidays and people visiting family. I don't have any family abroad myself but I feel so bad for those who do - especially those whose relatives are elderly or very ill.

Tristan da Cuna has actually honestly been right near the top of my dream destinations list for a while now though. It absolutely fascinates me that people live there and it's so far from everywhere. I follow their facebook page and fantasize about living there. In reality I'm sure I'd hate it but it seems magical. It's also not true that they have no tourist industry. I'm sure it seems like a very small industry to us but they have really struggled without it.

Yes it is South Sandwich islands, so should be fine

Although these, like the Falkland's and other places have no way of getting back without travel through a country that is not on the list, so you need to charter your own plane or you're quarantining anyway.

I’m not sure what you were expecting. Most countries are still struggling it would be crazy to add countries with much higher infection rates to the green list. I was pleasantly surprised to see that the government have been sensible re the list released. It’s never been a list of holiday destinations. If the list was longer we risk cases going up and more restrictions.

for people who live in countries on the green list who may have links to the U.K., they can now travel back much easier

Yep, that's another good thing about it! I'll probably be over to the UK at some point, gonna make the most of this summer to be on the safe side if we are cut off from each other again in the winter. Though I don't think that's particularly likely, it's been my philosophy throughout the pandemic to do as much as I'm allowed to do. I won't break any laws but I won't pass on opportunities to enjoy freedoms either. I feel bad for my fellow immigrants who want to get to Scotland rather than England as it seems the rules are different in that case.

It's not a holiday list, though. From 17th May you can holiday wherever you like, as long as you're prepared to do the testing and quarantines required. Granted you'd need a lot of extra time and money to do so in many cases, but the excellent news is that the UK government will no longer be locking you in your country. This is great for people who have been separated from family and are willing and able to spend that time and money to be reunited.

Well just walked past a yacht for sail and were idly thinking we could take in this list think Madeira, Azores, st Helena...

Then we remembered we go to work (and we actually go in and have done throughout)

Portugal is fabulous but they haven't got very high vaccination rates so I wouldn't rush to book there in case they move over to Amber by July.
Much as I long for a blue sky, sun, sea and beach holiday I am resigned to another grey, wet and windy UK holiday.
Anoraks and bracing walks on the prom anyone?
Actually it's not even just the weather. For the cost of decent holiday accommodation in the UK I could be in five star luxury abroad.

@blameitonthecaffeine

I think it's wise for now. Although I wish there were distinctions drawn between holidays and people visiting family. I don't have any family abroad myself but I feel so bad for those who do - especially those whose relatives are elderly or very ill.

Tristan da Cuna has actually honestly been right near the top of my dream destinations list for a while now though. It absolutely fascinates me that people live there and it's so far from everywhere. I follow their facebook page and fantasize about living there. In reality I'm sure I'd hate it but it seems magical. It's also not true that they have no tourist industry. I'm sure it seems like a very small industry to us but they have really struggled without it.

Me too!! I love looking at their website, it's so weirdly fascinating www.tristandc.com/

If there were lots on the list the government would be 'reckless' and be slated. If they're cautious then they're wrong too.

There's been plenty of criticism for not closing travel down early on... but now we know the full impact of this virus it's ok to let jollies restart?

We may be vaccinated in the main, but while there's lots of virus circulating in less fortunate places they will have mutations.. what if we bring in one that's dangerous? We'd be back to the gov being blamed for being too lenient.

Portugal will be happy

I’m surprised that Portugal is on the list but Malta isn’t. Malta has a much higher rate of vaccinations (both first and second doses).

I'm also surprised Malta isn't on the list and Malta itself probably is too. I suspect there will be a lot of holidays for late May and early June being cancelled or rearranged right now.

In the last few weeks they've been peddling a 100 Euro incentive scheme where a voucher of that amount was given to foreign visitors.

All the dive centres we have on Facebook were posting that you could use the vouchers to pay for diving with them.

Actually, I think I understand. We could actually travel to Malta from the U.K. now as long as we have a negative PCR test 72 hours before departure, whereas Portugal will only allow U.K. citizens entry if we are travelling for “essential reasons”. Basically, the Government don’t want us to travel. I wish they would just say that!

Malta’s case rate is 32/100k in the last 7 days whereas Portugal’s is 24/100k. Which gives Portugal a low case rate and Malta a moderate one (using a cut off point of 30/100k.) that might explain why Malta isn’t on the list. If their cases keep falling, I can see it being added in the next review.

But if the government are using a 30/100k cut off them and Portugal might need to be really careful about avoiding importing infections from tourists.

Hope this isn't too stupid a question...

Doesn't it depend also who else the destination country is allowing in? If a country with very low cases let's visitors from a high rate country visit would we go there?

I just got back from the States (urgent travel- not at all for a break/holiday) and I would say, it is SUCH a fucking hassle travelling, I wouldn't book a thing this summer. The PCR testing is prohibitively expensive (for a couple or a family, this really adds up).

Yes. That’s why the list is as ridiculous as it is. Most of the countries with low cases of Covid have got there by maintaining strict border controls to prevent people bringing it in from elsewhere. So anywhere you can go either
A) probably won’t let you in anyway or will require quarantine
B) is coming out of a lockdown and might not stay on the list
C) is so remote it’s difficult to get to and mostly inhabited by penguins

They really have been leading the tourist industry up the garden path with the restarting travel from 17th May talk.

@IceCreamAndCandyfloss

Unfortunately DH cannot inspect planes by video call so he does need to travel. In normal times he would be travelling at least 2-3 weeks a month. His clients have been very patient but he is now losing all his business to other countries which are allowing travel which in turn means we will lose our income and possibly our house.

I just don’t see the point in vaccines if it still doesn’t actually mean we can travel anywhere. He’d happily take a test, in fact the country he needs to visit has insisted on that since last summer so he has done it all before.

Travelling is a lot more than Joe Bloggs wanting to pop off to Benidorm to have a few pints and sunbathe on the beach and I really wish people would realise that. Families haven’t seen each other in years and businesses are going down the pan despite numbers being incredibly low and a huge amount of the population being vaccinated.

Like I said, I’ve had the double whammy of having Covid and a Vaccine so I can’t get much more protected yet still I can’t travel.

[quote ihearttc]@IceCreamAndCandyfloss

Unfortunately DH cannot inspect planes by video call so he does need to travel. In normal times he would be travelling at least 2-3 weeks a month. His clients have been very patient but he is now losing all his business to other countries which are allowing travel which in turn means we will lose our income and possibly our house.

I just don’t see the point in vaccines if it still doesn’t actually mean we can travel anywhere. He’d happily take a test, in fact the country he needs to visit has insisted on that since last summer so he has done it all before.

Travelling is a lot more than Joe Bloggs wanting to pop off to Benidorm to have a few pints and sunbathe on the beach and I really wish people would realise that. Families haven’t seen each other in years and businesses are going down the pan despite numbers being incredibly low and a huge amount of the population being vaccinated.

Like I said, I’ve had the double whammy of having Covid and a Vaccine so I can’t get much more protected yet still I can’t travel.[/quote]
Well put. I’m tired of people suggesting I adapt my work so it can be done online - no, there’s so many people who need to actually travel to do their jobs, and are losing their income and livelihoods through not being allowed to do them. It’s all a political game as last year they weren’t even concerned about testing, let alone quarantines. If you’re fully vaccinated, have antibodies and are willing to test as many times as needed, you should be free to come and go. But of course that doesn’t fit in with their narrative.

I thought travel for work was allowed as essential? If not then I have misunderstood and it really should be.

But then you will get people complaining about a two tier society and how young people and people with children are being penalised because they haven’t been vaccinated yet.
In order for that to happen it needs a very honest discussion about why we are doing it and how it is going to be policed. Because it will need to be policed.

@Kyph

I thought travel for work was allowed as essential? If not then I have misunderstood and it really should be.

Work and critical business travel has always been less restricted. Much of the UK food supply is from overseas etc. This logistically would include international movements of some peoples. Some corporate business travel too has been permitted but naturally subject to extra Covid mitigation measures. These are all essential. Tourism is less essential and in any case can be more localised as to be more mindful of the potential Covid footprint until the pandemic here and at preferred destinations are more under containment as to reduce asymptomatic mutating super spreading to the detriment of those with less health privilege.

@TheVanguardSix

I just got back from the States (urgent travel- not at all for a break/holiday) and I would say, it is SUCH a fucking hassle travelling, I wouldn't book a thing this summer. The PCR testing is prohibitively expensive (for a couple or a family, this really adds up).

I’m not surprised but it’s useful to know. Especially the reality of hassle and extra cost with dc