The short answer is yes, yes you absolutely should! If you need more convincing, or some tips on keeping your money and yourself safe read on.
Sure, I am biased but my first piece of genuine advice is book through a trusted travel agent, advisor or consultant. When doing so, immediately you have someone on your side, not a call centre but an actual person. Someone who takes the time to get to know you and what your priorities and preferences are. Someone who is personally committed to do the best they can for you. They will give you good advice and guidance and find the best possible options to suit your holiday needs. Hopefully you won’t need it, but if you do need to rearrange your holiday or get refunded due to COVID-19 restrictions it will be taken care of by them, there will be no sitting on hold for you.
At the time of writing 16,500,000 million people in the UK have had their first vaccination. By the middle of May all vulnerable groups should have had their second vaccination, which will prevent risk to the NHS. By the end of August all adults are forecasted to have had their first vaccination. On this basis, booking trips to travel from September onwards should be a safe bet, but many are predicting and pushing the UK Government for summer to be opened. Why? To save the travel industry and the 2.4 million jobs at risk in the airline and wider travel & tourism sector (according to WTTC).
I have signed up to #SaveOurSummer with the aim to get Boris Johnson to re-open the UK and overseas travel sector by 1st May. Conflicting advice from ministers is crushing confidence to book a holiday. By signing up to www.sostravel.uk I guarantee that my clients will be offered a refund or be able to change their travel dates if travel is cancelled or not possible due to government Covid-19 restrictions, save in the circumstances where an airline has not refunded me.
Certain locations are safe and the majority of destinations certainly have had less Coronavirus than we have here in the UK. Many destinations doors will remain closed to UK holidaymakers in the immediate future, perhaps until the vaccination programme is well underway. More evidence may also be needed to confirm that vaccinated people cannot carry the virus still and pass it on. However, many countries are open and welcoming us. Your travel consultant can advise you on destinations that have control of the virus, and where there is less risk so that your planned holiday can still go ahead.
From a mental health perspective, we all need something to look forward to and a planned holiday can be just the antidote to lift one’s mood. An upcoming adventure, getting together with your family for quality time, even just a change of scene; the build-up to holidays can be almost as exciting as the holiday itself. Planning where you will go, what you will see, thinking about what and where you will eat, gathering your reading material, imagining yourself relaxing on the beach, diving into the pool, all these positive images and thoughts can help to increase serotonin production in your body and release your happy hormones.
Currently travel companies are very flexible, airline seats especially in premier cabins at popular holiday times are getting full, particularly October Half Term, Christmas and New Year. By getting ahead of the curve, you can find availability at the best hotels, in your preferred room type to suit your budget, and decent airfares.
Give yourself something to look forward to! Get in touch with me to plan your next trip, be safe, be financial secure, get excited, be happy – you deserve it!