Travel industry welcomes lifting of restrictions in the UK

The UK has today lifted its final Covid travel restrictions for those entering the UK. As of 4am this morning, testing has been scrapped for unvaccinated travellers (vaccinated travellers were already able to enter the country without testing) and the requirement for passenger locator forms has also come to an end.

Emma Baker, at Holsworthy Travel, welcomed the change:

“We’ve seen a steady increase in enquiries since the start of the year and the scrapping of passenger locator forms for return travel will make the travel process so much easier for many people. In particular, for those without a smartphone who have potentially had to rely on hotel staff to ensure that their forms have been accurately submitted, there will be relief that the journey home will be more straightforward.”

Despite the forms and testing requirements ending for return travel, Emma stressed that it is important to check the requirements for other countries before travelling. She said: “Always check the entry requirements for your destination – these vary massively from location to location, including the timescales for testing. It pays off to have an experienced travel agent looking after your holiday for you, as they will be aware of changing rules in real time and will be able to keep you informed, so that your holiday runs smoothly.”

With Australia and New Zealand ready to start welcoming travellers back, Emma is delighted to have recently booked some customers on a trip to Australia to visit family. At present it is largely families that are travelling for a longed-for reunion; flight offerings aren’t back up to pre-pandemic levels yet, but long-haul travel is beginning to open up once more.

The outlook for travel is looking positive, and even the situation in Ukraine doesn’t seem to currently be putting too many people off booking their longed-for breaks.

“There is no current advice that says not to travel, so any changes or restrictions will come down to the individual tour operators. We are currently finding that the desire for normality is stronger than fear. That said, we always recommend talking to your agent, tweaking your itinerary as necessary and ensuring that you are totally comfortable with your holiday,” said Emma.

Whatever your travel plans this year, be it a sight-seeing experience within the UK, an all-inclusive break in foreign climes or an adventurous excursion, do give Emma a call on 01409 253962 for friendly advice and up-to-date knowledge. With over 30 years’ experience in the travel industry, Emma’s knowledge is invaluable and you can guarantee that she will have some fantastic suggestions for the perfect break for you.

To hear more about the current travel climate, take a listen to Pippa Quelch’s interview with Emma on Radio Devon, broadcast on Tues 8 March. You’ll find it online at https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0bp0pft – the interview starts at around 18 minutes in.