All sorts going on this month and a lot to look forward to, and maybe some future concerns as well.

Canada is open for business https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/foreign-travellers-covid-19-vaccinated-border-1.6166650.  This has been great news for UK/Scandi long-haul agents, something to sell at last!  Obviously, there are still no sales for USA, Australia, and New Zealand, not many enquiries either.

USA is not really there yet but getting closer https://www.travelinglifestyle.net/us-reopening-borders-to-tourism-who-can-enter/.   

Staff shortages due to Brexit and Covid 19 have left Nando’s without chicken and McDonalds without milkshakes! https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/58314821.  The big companies are asking for HGV drivers to be allowed to work as ‘skilled workers’ but the UK government is not allowing this as there are plenty of drivers in the UK.  Tesco recently looked for 50 drivers and got 750 applicants, so it is all about pay levels.  Nando’s and KFC issues are processing plant workers, jobs that are low paid and unattractive, previously done by EU workers with Brexit and Covid stopping them returning.

Another flat month for long-haul travel from UK/Europe I am afraid.  All the agents I have spoken to in UK/Scandi are reporting nothing for Australia/NZ and minimal for USA.  The booking/cancelling has all stopped.  The stats for vaccine programs are impressive so potential for travel in the fairly near future is starting to look good.  The image this month is Hayle in Cornwall, all about the staycation!

I was hoping for good news this month, but the new Delta variant has caused some problems with European travel.  The stats for vaccine programs are impressive but all countries opening up for events/gatherings has caused a steep climb in infections.  In further poor news, England failed to win the European Cup this month!  To get to the final was still a great achievement and the team are very young so it all bodes well for the World Cup next year.  Denmark was also special in the Euro’s and thanks for all the comedy comments from Danish friends.

Lots of change this month as various countries get on top of their vaccine programs but unfortunately there is a new variant out there which has interrupted travel around Europe

The UK vaccine roll-out has now gone past 64% of the population having their first jab and over 45% having their second.  The USA is on 53%, Canada is at 66%, Germany is on over 50% and the Scandi countries are all past 40%

The key news for me this month is that I have had jab #2 which doesn’t mean I can go anywhere different, but it does make me feel a bit better/safer. Thanks to new rules in the UK, I have even been inside a pub, been into a restaurant and even got a haircut!

The positive news continues in the UK with lockdown easing and a start to return to some normality of life and economy with holidays abroad being suggested by the Transport Secretary last week https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-56682226

17th May is supposed to be the date when holidays abroad are allowed again for UK customers but this has not been confirmed yet https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/explainers-52646738

Stats from ‘The new rules for travel marketing’ show that over 30% of UK/Scandi surveyed are planning international travel in 2021 with government restrictions being a bigger barrier than health considerations.  Please contact me for a copy of the PDF as it has a lot of interesting points.

I also have a UK marketing study of the new segments of consumers which shows that the average household has saves £7,100 in 2020, that is £197 billion in total, again email me for a copy of this.

The big news for the UK is clearly the vaccine roll-out which is now past 15 million people and should be everyone over 50 (and those younger but at risk) by the end of April.  That will be another 15 million and take the UK vaccinated to over 50% of the population.  Things slow down a bit then as previously vaccinated people return for their second dose but the whole UK population should be vaccinated by Autumn.

Not a great end to 2020 or a great start to 2021 up in Europe if we are being honest but this will be short term. December was initially positive with the vaccines starting to get authorized and used but the new Covid variant soon put paid to any celebrations later in the month and into the start of the new year. But there are positives……..

Another interesting month with a lot of changes in the UK/Europe landscape and travel market. The consensus is that we seem to have turned a corner with Covid 19 mainly due to the three vaccines (so far) that are being rolled out all over Europe. There is a strong air of positivity even faced with numbers increasing in many areas/countries.

Scandinavia is having a very tough time with Denmark going into a strong lock-down and Sweden also being forced to increase their measures to reduce the spread. Even the King is unhappy about the situation https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-55347021

Some good news coming in at last as we seem to have turned a corner in the UK and Europe. The UK and other parts of Europe are still in lockdown https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/explainers-53640249 but there is now mass testing going on and the latest news is the production of a vaccine that works for 90% of the people tested. This has seen a massive boost to the confidence of businesses, consumers and the general population. Share markets have jumped significantly and customers have started booking future holidays

I would loved to have been able to post great news of recovery in the UK/Europe markets and businesses building back up again but the truth is that it looks like we are heading into a second wave of Covid19. We have lost further businesses and many agencies are closing further shops or trimming back on staff.

The UK and Scandinavian travel industries are still struggling for long haul travel. Domestic travel has boomed all over the UK and Scandinavia with people rediscovering their own and neighbouring countries which to many are even better when not full of overseas tourists