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British Prime Minister Boris Johnson presented the governments road map out of lockdown to the British public on 22 February, which included the news about foreign travel, leading to a huge boost in bookings and enquiries, with Faro being one of the most sought after destinations.
According to a press release from easyJet, the low cost airline has seen UK bookings “surge” with “flight bookings for the summer season increasing by 337 percent and easyJet holidays bookings rising 630 percent in a week”. The company has reported “beach resorts among top destinations for this summer and travel in August, followed by July and September proving most popular, suggesting that Brits are keen to book a summer beach break to look forward to this year”.
Faro is among the top destinations for easyJet customers, along with Malaga, Alicante and Palma in Spain and the Greek island of Crete.
Johan Lundgren, CEO of easyJet said: “We have consistently seen that there is pent up demand for travel and this surge in bookings shows that this signal from the Government that it plans to reopen travel has been what UK consumers have been waiting for”.
The positive forecast for the tourism industry has been reiterated by Jet2holidays who have also reported a 600 percent increase in bookings since the announcement with Portugal once again topping the list of destinations alongside Spain, Greece, Cyprus and Turkey. Meanwhile, the golf holiday booking website, The Golf Travel Centre, has reported a spike in requests for European golf holidays in June and July which could also bode well for the Algarve which is also renowned as one of the premier golfing destinations in Europe and the world.
While no hard and fast decisions have been made by the UK government regarding international travel, the announcement that a travel taskforce will reveal plans on 12 April to allow people to be able to “plan for summer” and the news that the earliest date for lifting restrictions will be 17 May has buoyed the industry in Portugal and beyond.
The travel advice from the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) continues at this time to advise against all but essential travel to Portugal: “Flights between the UK and Portugal (including the autonomous regions of Madeira and Azores) are currently suspended. Visitors who have been in or transited through Portugal (including the autonomous regions of Madeira and Azores) in the previous 10 days cannot enter England.
“British and Irish nationals, and third country nationals with residence rights in the UK arriving in England from Portugal will be required to quarantine in a hotel Different rules apply for arrivals into Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. UK nationals in Portugal who wish to return to the UK will have to travel via other airports.”
Meanwhile, the president of the Business Association of the Algarve Region (NERA) has said that tourism “has a future”, despite the Covid-19 pandemic, arguing that entrepreneurs should try to “resist” and maintain business activity until the resumption of tourism arrives.
Speaking to Lusa, Vítor Neto said that the most optimistic recovery scenarios have not been verified and companies should take into account the different scenarios on the prospects of economic recovery to ensure that their companies remain active until then.
Vítor Neto stated that the pandemic has been “serious and has not only affected companies more directly related to tourism, such as accommodation and restaurants”, but it is also affecting “a group of companies that also provide goods and services and catering services”.
The president of NERA concluded with an appeal to the tourism businesses of the Algarve to show their “resistance against the struggle” and to maintain their businesses until the recovery is a reality in the tourist sector. The news that the British market, which has traditionally been the main country of origin for foreign tourist to the region, must give these businesses further optimism for the summer.
Originally from the UK, Daisy has been living and working in Portugal for more than 20 years. She has worked in PR, marketing and journalism, and has been the editor of The Portugal News since 2019. Jornalista 7920
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Even if the British lifts all travel restrictions.
Shall we just say "YES".
And Welcome them here
The British mutation of the Covid 19 virus is at the moment the largest problem.
Do we want to have a terrible pandemi in Algarve, just because it gives some cash to the hotels and restaurants ? Health has no price !! How may dead and sick are we willing to pay for some profit? How much work are we prepared ro give to the hospitals?
First we have state of emergency that says "stay at home" So we are prisoners in our own houses. Ans then we welcome an invasion of tourists
This does not make any sense at all, for me
By Gustav from Algarve on 26 Feb 2021, 09:21
I would hope that Portugal would ensure that all its police are properly immunized before allowing Brits back in, so they can be sure they won't catch covid while struggling to arrest them when the get drunk.
By Flack from Lisbon on 26 Feb 2021, 12:01
The UK government has already admitted that when they release restrictions they are prepared to live with a level of COVID transmission that epidemiologists say will foster more mutations. Portugal’s government should beware of opening up to mass tourism from the UK unless they want to face a repeat of the spike in Covid hospitalisations seen in January. It would be shear folly to invite this level of risk.
By Kate from Other on 26 Feb 2021, 13:12
Gustave has a fair point. But all British adults will have been offered a vaccination by the end of June. The Astra Zeneca vaccine has been proven to reduce transmission by over 60%. Worth noting that the Brazilian variant (prevalent in Portugal) is much more transmissible than the Kent mutation. The key to all of this is vaccinations and testing.
By David from UK on 26 Feb 2021, 13:13
Let's see what happens with the California variant first.It is 11 times more deadly than the original strain.
Secondly do we really want a return of loud drunken thugs to our towns and neighbourhoods?
I have been rather enjoying their absence
By James from Algarve on 26 Feb 2021, 13:47
Why would we want these loosers f er om a non-EU country. I think its very telling that Brits dont even consider if they are welcome here - after giving us the British variant, taking happily our Biontec-Pfizer vaccine and blocking all exports of their AstraZeneca vaccine to the EU. Yes, they bring money, but really they behave like imperialist idiots.
By Geert from Lisbon on 26 Feb 2021, 14:28
Totally agree Gustav.
It amazes me how many pumped up headlines this paper makes, when in reality it based on optimism and not true facts. None of us know what the future is going to bring so why speculate, let’s just wait and see.
By Peter Bird from Algarve on 26 Feb 2021, 16:41
How long would you like to stay in a state of confinement,
Yes we will welcom back all who want to come as long as they have had a vaccination
and can prove they are well.
By chris from Algarve on 26 Feb 2021, 17:15
And if we think about coming, do we want to risk the bad Brazilian COVID strain in Portugal. We will have been vaccinated and can safely visit any country that permits us to visit and help their economy
By Dave S from UK on 26 Feb 2021, 17:48
Oh dear Gustav- typical I'm alright Jack attitude- anyway UK needs to take Portugal of the red list of hotel quarantine-as far as I am aware there have only been 2 cases of the Brazil variant in Portugal- also our numbers are decreasing rapidly and by June vast numbers of us have been inoculated unlike Portugal so we would be more likely to contract Covid in Portugal( though on reflection highly unlikely on Algarve) I am very confident in the safety measures in Portugal -also Gustav you are not the only ones prisoners in their own homes!!!!!!!
By Anthony Foxwell from UK on 28 Feb 2021, 10:07
Also Gustav the "British variant" was imported into UK from Turkey and is not as potent as the Brazilian or South African variant
By Anthony Foxwell from UK on 28 Feb 2021, 10:11
One more point Gustav - the UK are not the only tourists- what about the French and Germans who are on the verge of a third wave and refusing the Australian Zeneca vaccine which is WHO ratified and dont forget the Dutch who have high rates at the moment- I get the idea you are a bit anti british- hope I'm wrong!
By Anthony Foxwell from UK on 28 Feb 2021, 10:15
Hi,
no I am not anti Brit.
But the headline was
=
The Brits are coming back
And from the text"
British government regarding the potential lifting of travel restriction
=
That what i comented on.
The article did not mention anything else
By Gustav from Algarve on 07 Apr 2021, 17:24