The UK’s traffic light travel guide has on the one hand brought some clarity and on the other, confusion and uncertainty.
Yesterday’s decision by On the Beach to stop taking peak season bookings caused further turmoil in the UK.
easyJet and TUI came out stating that from May 17 they will be operating as best to normal as possible but On the Beach Group chief executive Simon Cooper said: “In the same way that 85% of consumers don’t want to book travel to red or amber destinations because there is no guarantee they will turn green in time for their holiday, equally there is every possibility destinations designated green will turn amber or red prior to customers’ departure.”
So, where does that leave Spain and more importantly the Balearics?
I had a quick hotel search yesterday and there is not much open in Mallorca and there are very few bargains to be snapped up.
Yes, most chains are offering discounts but these are discounts on prices which have already been increased by around 20 percent since last year - so 35% off sounds great, but in fact it is only 15% at best. On the Beach have obviously done their research, its decision was certainly not taken lightly.
Booking are obviously going to be up this year, they can’t be any worse than 2020, but just how sharp the increase is going to be to Mallorca remains to be seen.
Are Britons prepared to take a gamble?