The travel trade is calling it the last nail in the coffin for their season, and for some their business.
The government's decision to re-impose quarantine restrictions, with just 24 hours notice, for travellers in France, has created havoc with 500,000 British tourists scrambling to get home.
The channel tunnel is fully booked and the cost of the limited number of flights has soared.
To add to the uncertainty and risk of flying off on holiday, Boris Johnson says he will not hesitate - a favourite expression - to impose similar restriction for other countries at any time - any moment.
Many agree with him, deciding to give this summer a miss and the hard hit big travel companies, including the largest, TUI - formerly Thomsons - are reporting a big increase in bookings for 2021.
The holiday problem for this year has been made worse by the clamour for 'staycations' in the UK, putting a strain on the most popular resorts, and on relations between the 'locals' and the visitors.
There are reports from Cornwall of visitors being refused entry to local pubs.
A whole fleet, including the latest 150,000 tonne giants, are saving port costs by sitting idle a few miles out to sea, being maintained by a skeleton crew, uncertain when they can back in business
And with losses running into billions of pounds the owners - two major groups - have that sinking feeling.
No comments:
Post a Comment