For travel-loving Swedes, Friday's announcement of lifted restrictions was long-awaited. Over the weekend, travel bookings broke new records and it is the long-distance destinations that are most sought after.
On Friday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) announced that the pandemic-related advice against non-essential travel to countries outside the EU will be lifted on October 1. And after just a few hours, the major tour operators were able to see more activity on their websites.
At Vingresor, sales of charter trips to Cape Verde increased by 270 percent, and the number of bookings to Tenerife and Thailand nearly doubled this weekend compared to two weeks ago.
– The announcement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had an immediate effect and it is clear that many are now longing to travel. This weekend we also saw a significant upswing for the Maldives and for city trips and of course for charter trips to the Canary Islands, which is our largest winter destination, says Anna Hagberg, press officer at Ving Sweden.
Didrik von Seth, secretary general of the industry organization Swedish Travel Agents and Tour Operators Association, SRF, says according to a press release:
”"The increase in bookings this past weekend is over 80 percent compared to last week and the emphasis is on trips a little further afield. The Maldives, for example, shows a 250 percent increase with one of our members.".
USA requested
At Tui, sales to destinations outside the EU have doubled compared to the previous weekend, and above all, it is the three long-haul destinations of Thailand, Mexico and Cape Verde that have received a boost.
– Previously, it was the older generation that had received their vaccine who traveled, now families with children have also caught up and are the largest group booking, says communications manager Adam Györki.
Dubai, Mexico and Madeira have climbed the top lists at travel agency Ticket. However, the biggest increase is in bookings to the US, which announced days before the Swedish Foreign Ministry's announcement that it would open its borders to vaccinated tourists in November.
”"When the US opens up to Swedish tourists again in November, it will be after over 18 months of closed borders, so we are seeing a lot of pent-up demand among our customers. Bookings to places like Miami and New York have more than quadrupled in recent days," says Michael Kapil, Marketing Manager at Ticket, in a press release.
Complicated rules
Although it is free to book trips, countries that welcome tourists usually require visitors to be vaccinated or be able to show a negative Covid test - or in some cases both.
– We get a lot of questions about entry forms and different rules at travel destinations. It is important for travelers to stay updated on what applies in the country they are going to as these can change at short notice, says Sandra Miller Kinge at Apollo and adds:
– Another tip if you are going to travel is to get your passport in time as there may be a waiting period and to perhaps get extra insurance that covers a possible quarantine.
Anna Hagberg at Ving says:
– There are still some questions from customers about different entry rules and what applies to the specific country they are traveling to, for example whether you need a PCR test even though you are fully vaccinated, which is the case when traveling to Dubai but not to the Maldives.
Need for flexibility
Ticket also notes a certain uncertainty among customers regarding entry regulations.
”"We are also noticing that customers who book travel online are contacting our stores and travel agents to a much greater extent than usual to check what is applicable for the various destinations. We are also seeing that customers have an increased need for flexibility, and most are choosing to book trips that can be rebooked or canceled," says Kapil.
The global travel advisory was introduced in March 2020 due to the pandemic. It was the first time that such an advisory covered the entire world. As the infection situation improved, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has lifted the advisory, especially for European countries.
From October 1, the advice from the remaining countries will be lifted.
Source: TT
The most booked destinations right now
1. Gran Canaria
2. Lanzarote
3. Tenerife
4. Cape Verde
5. Mexico
6. Thailand
Source: TUI
