Who's currently cancelling their holiday to Portugal then?

[diggingatrench]

Government are useless stay in lockdown, why can't i go on holiday its not fair, i dont want to go back in the office its not safe. This is all i have read on here since covid began.
The government can't please everyone all the time. Everyone was told that countries would change depending on circumstances. Stop acting so spoilt people have died and you want to build sandcastles.

"Stop acting so spoilt people have died and you want to build sandcastles."

I don't think anyone is planning on building sandcastles on their graves.

@denverRegina

"Stop acting so spoilt people have died and you want to build sandcastles."

I don't think anyone is planning on building sandcastles on their graves.

😂😂😂😂

So you're happy for your government to diotate to you the circumstances in which you may or may not leave your country 'for a few years'?

I can't help remembering how not so many years ago we felt sorry for eastern Europeans whose governments didn't allow people to travel - or only within a restricted range of eastern bloc countries.

I think it's David Davis who has objected to civil liberties being taken away under the guise of Covid. I can't say that I often agree with him, but he's right to want the regulations to be subject to regular scrutiny.

Wow, some people are absolutely revelling in others being upset at their holidays being cancelled.

I mean the gov did say do not travel for holidays. Not even to green list. It was meant to be only when necessary..,

The problem is that we don't really know what the Government says: one day travel is opening up again, the next we aren't supposed to go. Hence people make up their own minds.

it's fairly clear that there is a political and an economic/ financial dimension to decisions about which countries are green/ amber/ red. The concection to incidence and varient statistics is... very, very tenuous.

Not to be rude but booking a holiday to Portugal was always a risk......albeit a risk that paid off for many.

I'd have risked it in desperation for a holiday but would have half expected this to happen.

Sorry to those who are having to cancel their long awaited holidays though

I am gutted but also know that I’ve only got myself to blame! I am annoyed though that the corridor thing seems to have been forgotten.

Do people think it might change back to green before July? I’m thinking no and just to cancel and claim on insurance before we need to pay the balance.

I had originally booked Cornwall and had a fab place there in July but had to cancel due to my DS’s sporting commitment. So I booked Portugal to cheer myself up. 😳

I don't understand why people think a holiday abroad is a right. Holidays are a privilege and any time away from work should be appreciated

Is there anything that you think IS a right? Going to the pub? Going shopping? Kids going to a physical, non zoom school? Being allowed to walk around and exercise outside?

No, none of these are ‘rights’. It’s still reasonable to expect them in a modern liberal democratic society.

It sounds like you need to raise your bar for life.

modern liberal democratic society.

There are rights in such a society. But - also responsibilities.

We have a responsibility, as a high risk country, to not go spreading new strains abroad.

We've already done it once. We exported the Alpha variant (formerly known here as the Kent strain, and as the UK strain everywhere else) around the world

Still, we won't all agree on what freedoms we should be allowed.

I want smokers in Oxfordshire to have the freedom of a liberal modern democratic society. They should be free to smoke outdoors.

we have a responsibiity, as a high risk country, to not go spreading new strains abroad

The problem is that the government did nothing to stop the now dominant Indian variant into this country. Why were so many people in India? hundreds of flights were put on to get people back. This is a section of the UK population who we've been told over and over are more likely to catch covid and are more likely to be against the variant. This was a perfect storm situation.

Many many people HAVE taken responsbility only to watch others flout all the rules and the government not take advantage of our vaccination situation. This new variant was welcomed in with open arms by the government, they could have stopped it. They seem to think that we will all just keep complying, just why would we because we are let down at every turn.

@CorianderBee

I mean the gov did say do not travel for holidays. Not even to green list. It was meant to be only when necessary..,

Michael Gove went to the Champions League final...

My DH reckons it's all being done because of climate change..

@annie335

My DH reckons it's all being done because of climate change..

Yes, getting us used to not going overseas for holidays and staying local using our little electric cars that only go a couple of hundred miles, spending all our money on heat pumps instead of enjoying ourselves. Glad I'm old so have had the best years.

My dd and her bf were beginning to get a bit stressed with the mechanics of organising pcr tests around work hours plus the additional cost then were worried they would only be offered the chance to rebook so are highly relieved that Jet2 have now cancelled their break and will be issuing a full refund whilst being very disappointed they won’t be going. No chance they will risk booking a holiday abroad now until .... well I don’t know what their criteria will be.

Glad I'm old so have had the best years.

Well, good for you.

(That theory is a massive load of shite)

@UntilYourNextHairBrainedScheme

it's fairly clear that there is a political and an economic/ financial dimension to decisions about which countries are green/ amber/ red. The concection to incidence and varient statistics is... very, very tenuous.

Very much agree, especially the political link..

The policy wonks at Tory HQ will certainly have registered how popular just "stay the fark at home" has been and continues to be on opinion shifting/opinion shaping forums such as this and also such a message plays well with the Green lobby; in other words ATM there are votes to be had in being seen to be the party on be "hard on travel, hard on the causes of travel".., regardless of the underlying statistics.

There are also rumours that some at the Home Office have objections to opening up because they have serious doubts about their ability to police the Border if more travel is allowed......

If anybody thinks the restrictions are now just about protecting the UK population from a virus then "I have a bridge..."

P.S. With regard to the 116k figure for Brits in Portugal quoted above, of course they won't all be holidaymakers who have rushed off in the last couple of weeks..there are a lot of Brits who are permanent residents in the country.

@diggingatrench

Glad I'm old so have had the best years.

Well, good for you.

(That theory is a massive load of shite)

Which theory, that the best years are behind me, in my case they are, why would that be shite.

@Brefugee

Back in the 70s foreign travel for holidays for most was either a package to somewhere like Spain or driving to France. It was expensive to do otherwise. Eventually the tourist industry boomed for various reasons. Now for other reasons it's floundering and everyone wants to save it. Lovely solidarity with workers in the industry there. I like to see that.

If only that had happened with coal, steel, car, chemical, textileindustries etc etc. But nope-for those it was pretty much "their time has come' or" big reset" or "we're post industrial now".

So yes. It is tragic for individuals losing jobs because of this. I'm one of them. I'm also separated from family.
The only way as pp said is to go through it.

And stop voting for incompetent liars.

Because we destroyed our manufacturing base as we ushered in the service economy, we can't afford to lose both.

redrivershore I’m guessing the theory that travel is being prevented to minimise climate change. Which is obviously shite when you consider Boris is still pushing for an airport to be built in the Thames Estuary.

The policy wonks at Tory HQ will certainly have registered how popular just "stay the fark at home" has been and continues to be on opinion shifting/opinion shaping forums such as this and also such a message plays well with the Green lobby; in other words ATM there are votes to be had in being seen to be the party on be "hard on travel, hard on the causes of travel"..hmm, regardless of the underlying statistics."

Votes to be had?

There are no elections in the near future and by the time there are, people won't be voting based on whether the government allowed us to go on holiday in 2021. Honestly, I can't stand Johnson and his cabinet and I don't trust any of them, but the current travel situation is a case of Occam's razor.

I don't see any concern by Johnson's Government on climate change since they seem hell bent on getting trade deals from literally the other side of the world, instead of from countries, the nearest of which is only 20 miles away.

@pinkearedcow I'd never heard of Occram's razor and now I've googled it - that's a good thing to quote so thanks for expanding my knowledge!

Doesn't help in the discussion with friends tonight about what we do with August Majorca holiday though- at the minute we could cancel villa and move flights at no loss but DH being a bit bullish.