In this week’s column, our travel guru Gary Hudson gives his top tips for picking your post-coronavirus dream destination.
‘Well, now all of the Channel Islands are in lockdown due this terrible Covid-19 pandemic, and our movement is limited, maybe it’s time to think ahead to when we can enjoy travelling once more – something I don’t think any one of us will take for granted again.
‘Easter is generally a period for many to travel, whether it’s visiting overseas relations or enjoying a family holiday during the lengthy school break. This year will be different, not only because you can’t travel but because most of us will be sitting at home following medical advice.
‘So why not use this time to get together and plan a trip for later in the year – Autumn, Christmas or even maybe early 2021? I’m a believer that everything good for you will wait.’
Fantastic prices for the winter season
‘The head of a travel consortium in the UK said only recently that lockdown is contributing to a pent-up demand for winter holidays, highlighting current ‘fantastic prices’ for the winter season.
‘Of course, the big question we usually have, planning so far ahead, is where to go. Under present circumstances, the big question is whether this crisis will be over by 2022, never mind Autumn or Christmas. Also, as a holiday purchase is a sizeable percentage of the household budget, how safe is your money when so much is unknown?
‘Well, there could be a risk but to counteract this consider the great holiday and flight prices being made available, with most tour and flight operators extending their condition policies to offer free changes should the virus crisis continue longer than anticipated.
‘Extra security is given if you pay for your travel by credit card or, as there are so many excellent travel providers within the islands, from retail travel agencies, luxury travel specialists through to individuals with extensive travel industry experience. Many of these professionals’ often offer complimentary services and will not only match you to that much deserved holiday, but will offer additional security.’
Choosing where to go?
‘Now, where to go? Those aforementioned travel providers can help, or if you’re just wanting to explore the options, there are many websites to entice. However, to help get you started, here are a few destination ideas below…
‘If travelling as a family, or just looking to release the stress of lockdown, then enjoy the thrills of the many amusement parks worldwide. Thought Disneyland Paris might be one of the closest, it may not suit all, Looking at the travel offers being currently promoted, maybe a visit to one of Disney’s theme parks, or Universal in Florida is the place to head.
‘If not wanting to endure a transatlantic flight, even if the upgrade costs may look very attractive, how about a shorter six- hour flight to guaranteed sunshine in cosmopolitan Dubai, which offers many great theme parks to enjoy.
‘Maybe, this type of holiday is not for you. You may prefer to de-stress by simply doing nothing, which of course you can still do in Dubai, or any of the other interesting emirates.
‘Hopefully, many destinations will be ready to welcome guests later this year, but unfortunately there’s no guarantee all will be able to. Great autumn and winter destinations to consider could be the islands of the Caribbean, all offering their unique topography, character and ambiance. Though a longer flight, but with so much choice, resorts of the Far East, Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia, to name just a few, are ready to entice you.
‘Maybe not offering the weather of the Caribbean and Far East, but far shorter flights, you could choose to enjoy a winter break in Madeira, the Canary Islands or Cyprus – destinations that all want to see the return of the British tourists, with offers to whet your appetite.’
Time to try something new
‘There are so many destinations you can travel to, and ‘flop n drop’, but as these are strange times, why not make it a little different?
‘There will be, my guess, many ‘special offers’ being promoted by cruise operators once they’ve got their ships back into operation. They’ll be offering cruises worldwide, including Australia and New Zealand, during their summer season (our winter) and with the flight promotions expected, it could be within the budget of many who had never thought of travelling this far.
‘There are the usual winter destinations to consider, skiing and snowboarding resorts, which may not necessarily offer the bargains other areas could be offering, but even they have been affected by this outbreak, having had to cut short their season this year.
‘To summarise, whilst this virus outbreak is awful, with loss of life and major disruption, as humans, it is in our DNA to overcome these crises, and while I’m not trivialising the pandemic, we have to carry on.
‘To make it a little easier for you as readers, I’ve listed below some email contact addresses for just a selection of Channel Islands travel providers. It is not an exhaustive list but these are businesses that are recognised bonded agents for added protection. The email contracts have have been provided in preference to phone contact for the simple reason that these agents are working to assist their current clients during this crisis. But they look forward to helping you with future travel dreams.’
