BY TIM HEDGLEY, GROUP TRAVEL EDITOR
WITH a major loosening of travel restrictions for fully vaccinated customers arriving into the UK coming into force,Jet2.com and Jet2holidays have reported continued demand for flights and holidays as travel starts to return to normal.
From 04.00 this morning, fully vaccinated customers will no longer have to self-isolate or take a Day Two lateral flow test after arriving in the UK, with Passenger Locator Forms also simplified.
In response to this, Jet2.com and Jet2holidays have reported strong demand returning for all seasons, with February half-term, the Easter holidays and Summer 22 all performing very well.
Bookings for the upcoming February half-term period have taken off since travel rules were relaxed, with bookings over the last four weeks up by 30% when compared to the same period in 2020.
This has been driven by strong demand for holidays to the Canary Islands, Mainland Spain and Portugal as well as ski flights to Geneva, Grenoble, Lyon, Chambery, Lyon, Innsbruck, Salzburg andBarcelona (Andorra).
In addition, there is strong demand for Summer 22 as customers make up for missing out on the previous two summers. Jet2.com and Jet2holidays have more capacity on sale for Summer 22 when compared to Summer 19, and with demand back to, and in some cases above, pre-pandemic levels, it is clear how much customers want to book some summer sun after missing out for so long.
Popular destinations in Mainland Spain, Canary Islands, Balearic Islands, Portugal and Italy are set for a busy summer, and there is also huge demand for Greece, Turkey and Cyprus this summer.
Jet2holidays has also seen a trend of holidaymakers indulging themselves more this coming summer. In addition, the extra protection that booking through a trusted package holiday provider such as Jet2holidays gives, including ATOL-protection and prompt refunds, is proving extremely reassuring to customers.
Steve Heapy, CEO of Jet2.com and Jet2holidays said: “There is strong demand right across the board, for all seasons, all destinations and all types of package holiday.
“Looking at the February half-term, for example, we have a programme of very busy flights taking off to destinations across the Mediterranean, Canary Islands and best ski resorts in Europe, and bookings have been flying in over the past few weeks.”
Mr Heapy added: “People want to get away for their well-deserved breaks after so long and that has translated into a surge of bookings which has continued since the Government announced the loosening of travel restrictions at the start of the year.
“Over the past two years we have said that demand would come roaring back once travel started to return to normal, and that is very much the case.
“The UK Government has taken meaningful action to get travel back up and running, and it is good to see other countries take the same approach.
“We are very confident that 2022 is the year when international travel gets back to how it looked before the pandemic, and that is fantastic news for everyone.”
For further information and to book visit www.jet2.com or www.jet2holidays.com
Independent travel agents can visit: trade.jet2holidays.com
