Have your say: Are you planning a holiday abroad this summer?
Speculation still surrounds whether Brits will be able to go on summer holidays abroad, despite the easing of COVID restrictions announced on Monday.
Airlines and travel firms have reported a surge in demand for foreign holidays since Boris Johnson revealed his road map for easing England’s coronavirus lockdown on Monday.
Foreign holidays could be permitted from 17 May, according to the PM's road map, but on Wednesday home secretary Priti Patel said it was “far too early” for people to book a holiday abroad.
Asked what advice she would give to people thinking about overseas holidays and whether they should book or wait, Patel told the Commons Home Affairs Committee: “Well, it’s too early. It’s far too early.
“It is too early and we have to look at the data at every single stage, and the road map outlined by the prime minister makes that abundantly clear.”
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In his announcement on Monday, Johnson said a government taskforce will produce a report by 12 April recommending how international trips can resume for people in England.
But despite the uncertainty, wannabe holiday-makers have been booking trips, with easyJet saying in the hours after the announcement, bookings by UK customers for the summer season were more than four times higher compared with the same period during the previous week.
The most popular destinations for this summer are beach resorts including Malaga, Alicante and Palma in Spain, Faro in Portugal, and the Greek island of Crete.
August is the most booked month, followed by July and September.
Under current rules, travellers arriving in England must quarantine in a hotel if they have been in a country at high risk of coronavirus variants in the previous 10 days.
Guests are allowed to leave after 11 nights if they receive negative results from tests taken on day two and day eight of their isolation.
A positive result from the first test means their stay must be extended by two nights.
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