Flocktober Fan, House Swapper or Spread Better – which of 2021's all-new holiday tribes are you?

Christina Hopkinson
·7-min read
Do you precisely plan everything or leave it to the last minute?
Do you precisely plan everything or leave it to the last minute?

The dark winter months are usually a time of TV adverts and emails from travel companies asking us to dream of sea and sunshine. This year, of course, everything is different. However much we may fantasise about swapping our wellies for jellies and kicking our feet into the waves, there’s a rainy cloud of confusion over travel corridors, quarantines and even whether or not there will be barricades along the A30 to keep Londoners out of Cornwall.

But even amid the uncertainty, travel tribes are emerging, all of them convinced – or trying to convince themselves –that they’ve unlocked the keys to holidaying 2021 style.

1. Flocktober Fans

This canny lot have checked the vaccine calculators and decided that by October the new normal might be a bit more like the old one, so have booked a break for then. Now it’s just a case of sit back and wait. The fact that those old enough to have had their first dose of AstraZeneca are likely those also unrestricted by school term dates means that they can, in theory, enjoy southern Europe’s autumn sun, free from pesky children. The water is still warm – as will be the welcome from the local businesses if they make it out there.

Arguably an even more frenzied group of Flocktober folk are the families hoping to squeeze in some October half-term sunshine. Airlines are pointing to a run on flights to the Canaries, Crete, Malta and Malaga for those dates.

My friend Jo has just booked flights to Cyprus as prices were rising daily. “I really wanted something to look forward to," she says. "I’ve no idea whether it’ll happen or not, but just having it booked is a light at the end of the tunnel."

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2. The Last-Minute Lot

They had their fingers burnt last year when they tried to spontaneously book somewhere in the UK and found that a caravan in the Gower Peninsular was going to cost more than a five-star hotel in the Caribbean. Even so, they’re not even prepared to think about holidays until Boris Johnson gives them express permission.

When or if it seems likely that this summer will be much like last year’s - uncharacteristically hot and free from harsh restrictions in many places - then expect a mad scramble for every last self-catering cottage on these crowded islands. Already travel experts are warning that the whole of the UK is going to be booked up for July and August. The smarter among this set are making a shortlist, ready for when the starting gun is fired...

Travel toolkit

  • lastminute.com – the original 11th hour website.

  • petspyjamas.com – dog friendly destinations, because you’ve left it too late to book a sitter for your lockdown puppy.

3. The House Swappers

This is an eminently sensible and financially savvy concept – rather than leaving your house empty while you jet off elsewhere, you swap houses like Kate Winslet and Cameron Diaz in The Holiday – except probably not a picturesque cottage and Los Angeles superhome straight out of Selling Sunset.

There are myriad sites to help, but friends are increasingly doing it for themselves. The only problem is that this year the exchange rate is out of whack – your bijou city pad is the plummeting currency, while those with a country estate are sitting on gold bullion. A Norfolk pile is a hot ticket, a small flat in Vauxhall rather less so. We once swapped our small London terrace for a vast Somerset house with tennis court and pool with the lure of the capital’s exciting restaurants and theatres. This year we’d be lucky to be allowed to camp in their shed.

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4. The Super Planners

They’ve booked a traditional summer holiday in the Algarve for August with everything planned from the villa to the kayaking trip on the third day.

Florence Grayson Williams of luxury agents Scott Williams Villas says they’ve been busy with these efficient people since the end of last year. “We had a crazy rush of high-spenders when the vaccination came in. It gave people a lot of hope for summer holidays.” Their clients are betting on places like Greece, “as they need our English tourism”. Those holidaymakers whose livelihoods have been unaffected by lockdowns have more money to spend thanks to having saved so much cutting out commuting, fancy restaurants and expensive ski trips. In which case, plan away and to hell with the consequences.

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5. The Postponers

My brother is hoping the third time’s a charm for his repeatedly-cancelled trip to Venice. “We thought it would be wonderful to see the city relatively free from tourists,” he says, “but almost all the flights for this April were booked so we’re not the only ones.” He and his wife were going to go last October, then February and are now trying to remain optimistic about the Spring.

For many, large amounts of money from cancelled holidays are tied up as credit with travel agents, cottage companies and flight operators, and lots of us feel the sort of alarm associated with a high street gift voucher – use it, quickly, or lose it. I’ve just rebooked our lost Christmas 2020 house in the Lake District for July because the thought of stretching my eyes further than our north London street makes me happy, whether or not we are able to go.

Travel toolkit

  • moneysavingexpert.com for advice on refunds and credits for cancelled holidays.

  • abta.com continually updated with information on current and future travel

6. The Smug Second-Homers

The weekenders are especially pleased with their Suffolk/Cornish/Highland houses this year. They’re ready to go whenever the Government unlocks us, spared the unseemly rush to book the last pitch on a campsite in Devon. In fact, judging by the absence of the 4x4s outside their London houses, it seems as if many of them are already there..

Themodernhouse.com, second-home and rural pad porn should you wish to buy (or fantasise about buying) a country retreat

7. The Staycationers

By which I mean actual staycationers, the people who go on holiday in their own homes. Despite the fact that the last 11 months have felt like one long staycation complete with enforced walks and board games, they’re determinedly booking time off work to enjoy, yes, yet more time at home.

Despite the fact that their houses are multi-tasking as offices, gyms and bars, they can still muster enthusiasm for exploring their local area and reading Hilary Mantel. One can only admire this almost ability to find joy in the familiar. And while the rest of us are crammed onto Bournemouth beach or a full low-cost flight, we’ll probably envy them, too.

Travel toolkit

  • Greenretreats.co.uk has plenty of suggestions on how to get the best out of not going anywhere.

8. The Spread Betters

One friend has secured a rebooking in Dorset, a week in the Northumberland for May, a summer break in Southwold, has an eye on France in August, and a hotel in Cornwall for October. She figures if just one of them comes off, they’ll have won the holiday jackpot.

Travel toolkit

  • Sawdays.co.uk for everything from self-catering to coastal retreats and European breaks.

  • Booking.com and Airbnb.co.uk both provide for last minute cancellations.

Visit Telegraph.co.uk/travel for up to date travel news and inspiration on where to book in the UK and beyond

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