How to guarantee yourself a foreign holiday this summer

The Government’s Travel Taskforce report has confirmed that we remain on course for a May 17 restart and given us more details about the proposed new traffic-light system, testing requirements and other details.

But it also makes it clear that nothing is guaranteed and the UK government obviously cannot control what happens overseas, nor the emergence and spread of variants, nor the effectiveness of vaccines against them. A lot can happen in the next six weeks to any one country’s traffic light rating, and the actual restart date won’t even be finally confirmed until “early May”.

But there is a way of making a virtue out of the remaining uncertainty – we just need to readjust our expectations a little. Here’s how.

Be spontaneous

By which I really mean book two or three weeks before departure, when you are reasonably confident that the traffic light isn’t about to change. That way you can remove most of the uncertainty but, having decided when you are going to book, you can still retain the excitement of having something to look forward to.

Give chance a chance

Don’t set your heart on a particular destination weeks in advance, but choose from the green list at the time of booking. You might end up with an alternative you had never considered before – Gozo instead of Greece perhaps, or Cyprus instead of Sicily. But take that as a positive – you may be pleasantly surprised.

Relish the bargains

This, hopefully, will be the big upside for consumers this summer. While peak season holidays in the UK have all but sold out and prices have soared, it is hard to see that happening in the Med. Your flexibility should give you the best chance of finding an excellent deal.

Savour the sights

While – weather-permitting – British beaches, national parks and holiday attractions will be packed this summer, the same is not likely to be true of those which usually attract more international attention. The Costas will be quiet, the promenades peaceful and the attractions that much more attractive. It’s a fascinating prospect.

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