Covid in Wales: Where are people going on holiday?

People are dreaming of holidays to the Maldives next year, travel agents say

People are planning bucket list holidays due to "pent up demand" for a break, according to Welsh travel agents.

They said places like the Maldives were being snapped up for 2022 with people "definitely spending more".

But, for this year, the demand remains for UK staycations.

Accommodation with hot tubs are proving popular along with cottages and lodges for families holidaying at home.

The Welsh government has said people should only go abroad for "essential purposes", and First Minister Mark Drakeford has urged people to stay in Wales this year.

Suzanne Cumpston, from Sam Smith Travel in Cowbridge, said the desire for international travel appears to have been "suppressed" for now - but longer term, people were looking to travel further afield.

"The appetite for 2021 is leaning towards UK staycations," she said.

Summer bookings are made up of breaks at UK lodges and cottages, she said, with hot tubs a requirement whenever possible.

Other customers have booked holidays to the Maldives, the US, Iceland and the Greek islands from the latter part of the year in the hope they can go ahead.

Hot tubs are a requirement for staycations, say travel agents

And one customer has just booked a £65,000 wedding party of about 15 people to Antigua in 2022.

"People are booking to go longer, [to] bucket list places and upgrading rooms because they have lost out," she said.

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Other travel agents told BBC Wales that customers have increased their holiday budget and booked luxury breaks to places including Mauritius and the Canadian Rockies in 2022.

But for now many have opted for staycations in Wales, Devon, Cornwall and on UK cruises.

Mark White, boss of Ocky White Travel, Haverfordwest, said "it seems everything with a hot tub will sell" when it comes to booking a holiday at home.

He said he was advising people "not to commit to 2021 foreign holidays" until further reviews of the travel traffic light system and in the hope the green list will open up.

Wales has a traffic light system of travel, like in England, meaning countries are categorised due to risk.

Portugal has now moved to the amber list, meaning arrivals must take two tests and quarantine for 10 days.

"Some people are still determined to go away," said Mr White.

"We are seeing more wish-list destinations coming through.

"People have learned not to take anything for granted and to take opportunities when they arise," he said.

Sue Glen: "You have to get on and enjoy your life"

Travel agent Darren Owen said customers at Snowdonia Travel and Cruise in Colwyn Bay have rescheduled foreign holidays up to four times due to Covid travel rules.

He said that made it financially difficult for independent travel agents who do not receive their commission until a few weeks before people go on holiday.

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Mr Owen said older people who have had their second Covid vaccine were booking foreign holidays for November and December, while families were booking to go abroad next May and June.

Self employed travel agent Sue Glen, from Builth Wells, has taken up a second job as a Covid track and trace official with Powys council to help pay her bills, with customers also delaying their breaks up to four times.

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She said new foreign holiday bookings to places like the Maldives, Thailand and the US appeared to be more lavish, especially if customers have been able to save money during lockdown.

And she said people holidaying at home were also prepared to pay in excess of £1,500 for a week's stay in a UK holiday cottage in order to "make memories".

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"You have to get on and enjoy your life," she said.

"So many times I have had that conversation with customers.

"We have had a pretty awful few years."

Health club receptionist Angie Willmott, from Cardiff, "just loves holidays".

She has just returned from a weekend in Cornwall, and hopes to be able to enjoy breaks in Crete in July and a Caribbean cruise in December, if they are on the green list.

"We need to have some optimism," she said.

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