Following the UK government announcement that fully vaccinated travellers will no longer need a pre-departure test for returning to England or a PCR test on return (a lateral flow test will be required), Jet2 has seen bookings for Spain leap by some 150%.
Coinciding with the change to travel rules, the airline and tour operator made special offers available for flight and holiday package bookings before January 18. Reservations more than doubled - "an overwhelming increase of more than double the reservations for Spain compared to the previous 24 hours", with bookings returning to pre-pandemic levels.
Referring to Boris Johnson's announcement, the CEO of Jet2.com and Jet2holidays, Steve Heapy, said: "The relaxation of travel restrictions is welcome news for both the travel industry and holidaymakers and comes during what is traditionally a very busy period for holiday bookings. We were already heading into the New Year with a strong feeling of positivity and confidence, and the removal of these restrictions really gets 2022 off to a great start."
In the devolved nations, Wales has "reluctantly" followed suit, says health minister Eluned Morgan. Scotland and Northern Ireland, as of Thursday, had yet to confirm if they would be.
* Pre-departure testing was no longer needed as of 4am Friday. Change from PCR to lateral flow test requirement from 4am Sunday; these tests can be booked as of Friday.
People who are not fully vaccinated will still be required to self-isolate on return.