Exclusive: UK flight searches spike for coronavirus-free nations
British holidaymakers are scrambling to find flights to countries with low coronavirus rates, according to research carried out for Telegraph Travel.
In a week that saw pressure grow against the UK’s own quarantine policy, raising the prospect of bilateral ‘air bridge’ agreements, flight searches to European countries on Skyscanner soared.
Slovenia, which declared itself coronavirus-free in May, was subjected to the greatest increase, with searches up 35 per cent this week compared to last. It has recorded fewer than 1,500 cases and 109 deaths.
Portugal, which has had 1,500 coronavirus deaths, has expressed interest in welcoming British holidaymakers as soon as possible. Flight searches to the country rose 24 per cent last week as Government insiders said deals would be in place by the end of June.
Spain, which last week said it was not pursuing a deal with the UK and instead favoured a EU-wide approach to resuming tourism, was the only country for which flight searches fell, decreasing 13 per cent.
Italy, which has reopened its borders, experienced a 20 per cent rise in interest, Croatia 9 per cent, and France, 12 per cent.
A spokesperson for Skyscanner said the majority of searches were “during the latter part of the year”.
“We are seeing increasing search activity in the UK for travel during 2020 and 2021 as people begin to explore what their first trip after restrictions lift might be,” the spokesperson said.
“While some countries around Europe are lifting border restrictions there is still no timeline for the UK, so any bookings made could be affected by coronavirus measures. As coronavirus is now a ‘known’ event, we strongly advise anyone looking for travel to make sure they are covered by their travel insurance policy.”
Though the UK Government still advises against all but essential travel, its 14-day quarantine policy was called into doubt on Friday when British Airways, Ryanair and EasyJet confirmed they had launched a legal challenge.
The airline said in a joint statement: "The airlines have asked for their judicial review to be heard as soon as possible.
"The airlines have not yet seen any evidence on how and when proposed 'air bridges' between the UK and other countries will be implemented. Instead, they want the Government to readopt its previous quarantine policy introduced on March 10, where quarantine is limited to passengers from 'high-risk' countries.
"This would be the most practical and effective solution and enables civil servants to focus on other, more significant issues arising from the pandemic while bringing the UK in line with much of Europe which is opening its borders mid-June.”
The Government has said the quarantine is necessary to prevent a second wave of coronavirus infections and that it will be reviewed on June 29.
