Holiday bookings rocket after Covid tests for vaccinated travellers axed from February 11

Holiday bookings for February half term and Easter breaks have soared after Covid travel restrictions were relaxed.

Double jabbed holidaymakers arriving in the UK from abroad no longer need to take Covid tests from 4am on February 11 in a holiday boost ahead of the half term.

The Canary Islands, Balearic Islands, mainland Spain and Portugal were “selling strongly”, according to Jet2, while Turkey and Italy were among the most in-demand locations for Thomas Cook.

In the wake of the news, Jet2 reported bookings rocketed by 30% on last week.

Mr Heapy said: “We have seen a notable increase in demand for holidays and flights across all seasons, particularly February half term, the Easter holidays and Summer 22.

“Before the announcement demand was already strong, however bookings have jumped by another 30% when compared with the previous week, demonstrating just how much of a game-changer the removal of all testing is for fully vaccinated holidaymakers.

“With international travel starting to look like it did before the pandemic, customers are jumping at the chance to book their flights and holidays.”

The easing of Covid travel restrictions was welcomed by the travel industry with Thomas Cook’s CEO saying it was a relief for families looking to get some winter sun.

Alan French, CEO of Thomas Cook, added: “The news is a welcome relief for families looking to get away for the February half term holidays. We’d expect to see an immediate boost to bookings as people take advantage of reduced testing requirements.

“The start of 2022 has seen Brits confidently booking their summer holidays in earnest. After two years of bans and changing rules, it feels like we’ve really turned a corner and with the end of testing in sight we expect to see even more people look ahead to a summer of sunshine, beaches and glistening blue seas.

“Turkey is such a popular country for summer holidays and its incredible all-inclusive hotels are a huge draw for families who want to head out to the beaches around the Mediterranean and reacquaint themselves with the warming embrace of the Turkish sun.”