The British Minister for Tourism, Nigel Huddleston, appears to have been spooked by the sharp spike in the number of foreign holidays being booked since double-jab travel came into force on Monday. With reports that bookings to Spain, in particular the Balearics, having risen by 400 percent since the start of the week, the British domestic travel authorities have decided to throw £5.4 million into a campaign to convince people to holiday in the UK this summer.
The recent heatwave in the UK may have made some people think twice about travelling abroad, but the weather can never be guaranteed in the UK and with a new heatwave gripping the Balearics and guaranteed sunshine for months to come, many Britons will no doubt want to enjoy a slice of the sunshine, sea and sand in the Balearics.
What is interesting is that Benidorm and the Costas have not reported the same increase in bookings as the Balearics, so that can only come as good news for the islands providing the UK keeps the Balearics off the amber-plus list. In the meantime, the summer ‘Escape the Everyday – Enjoy the UK this Summer’ push has a focus on cities and city attractions as well as regional gateways which have been hit particularly hard by the lack of international visitors and that rely on their spending.
Will the British government try and force the public’s hand even more with new overseas travel complications?