Saga Holidays Reports 127% Increase in Booking Inquiries

Saga Holidays has experienced a 127-per cent increase in the number of booking inquiries to its contact centres in the week after the UK government released a report suggesting that international travel can be resumed from May 17.

The increase was measured against the same period two weeks before, Saga said in a press release.

“We’d already received a surge in inquiries when the vaccine roll-out started and in the week since the Government’s announcement around international travel, we’ve seen another spike from travellers keen to secure holidays,” Nick Stace, CEO of Saga Travel, said.

“Our European river cruises are also experiencing high levels of demand, and we’re looking forward to launching our latest ship, the Spirit of the Rhine, later this year,” he added.

According to the press release, Saga’s website saw the largest spike in online searches on Saturday, Apr. 10 – up 43 per cent from the Saturday before.

Cruise searches have focused on the launch of the tour operator’s modern boutique ships the Spirit of Discovery and the brand new Spirit of Adventure in summer 2021, of which all but one are now sold out, Saga said.

The tour operator also said that it had already seen evidence that cruises are a popular option for travellers as bookings were up 20 per cent for 2021-22 and 2022-23 combined even before the government announcement.

The Global Travel Taskforce published its findings on the potential resumption of travel for UK residents from May 17 to April 9. The resumption would be done under a traffic light system.

Customers that book a 2021 Saga holiday before the end of April are covered by a Reassurance Promise, which enables them to amend their travel plans for no fee if they wish to, the tour operator said.

Saga also offers a price promise, which means that should they ever reduce their prices or bring in a new special offer after a customer has booked, they will calculate the difference and pass the value of the saving back.

The tour operator is asking all guests to have both doses of the COVID-19 vaccine at least 14-days in advance of travel. Saga Holidays also said that it will monitor the COVID-specific requirements of each destination and is committed to communicating those details to customers ahead of departure.

“Our customers want something really special and trust Saga to look after them – they know their wellbeing and enjoyment are our top priorities. It’s why we require our customers to have received both doses of the vaccine, and that’s just one of a number of stringent measures in place to keep our guests safe,” Stace said.

Cruise sailings could restart on 17 May.

A government minister has raised hopes that domestic cruise sailings could restart on 17 May.

According to a report in The Independent, maritime minister Robert Courts announced the news at an All-Party Parliamentary Maritime and Group (APPMPG) meeting on 8 March.

In a tweet, the APPMPG said: “**NEWS** Maritime Minister Robert Courts announces the reopening of the domestic #cruise market in England on 17 May at tonight’s @APPMPG meeting.”

It added: “From repatriation procedures and risk mitigations to CV-19 protocols and the domestic vaccination program, a great @APPMPG session w/ @robertcourts who delivered some much-appreciated news. A pathway to the domestic cruise market re-opening on 17 May.”

A Department for Transport spokesperson also told The Independent: “We are committed to restarting cruise travel when it is safe to do so, and we are working closely with the sector to prepare for a safe and successful restart.

“The restart of domestic cruises in England will be aligned with the wider resumption of the domestic tourism and indoor hospitality sectors. As set out in the prime minister’s roadmap, the earliest possible date for this step is 17 May.”

Industry ‘welcomes’ news

In recent weeks, cruise lines have altered their schedules to prepare for shorter UK sailings later this summer.

Princess Cruises said it was “clear that holidays in the UK will be the first to restart before the gradual return of international travel”, while P&O Cruises has confirmed a range of sailings that will depart Southampton and sail around UK coastal waters.

CLIA and the UK Chamber of Shipping said in a joint statement: “We strongly welcome the announcement that cruise will be included alongside the restart of other domestic tourism in the UK.

“The industry has been working with the government over the last year on health protocols which put the safety of our passengers and crew first. Many of these protocols have already been tested successfully where cruise has been able to operate elsewhere in Europe.

“The industry has long planned a phased restart for the cruise, with domestic cruises representing the first stage of this plan. We look forward to continuing to work collaboratively with the government, including through the Global Travel Taskforce in order to ensure the safe restart of the international cruise in time for the summer season.”

P&O Cruises president Paul Ludlow added: “We are delighted that the government has acknowledged that UK domestic cruise holidays can begin from May 17.

The government has set March 17 as the earliest date from which international travel could resume.

Courts referred to travel restarting “at some point after May 17”. Asked by the committee to explain, he said: “I understand the requirement for as much certainty as possible. At this stage, it would be premature to be too precise. We do need to work through some really quite complicated issues.

“We have said there won’t be any travel before May 17 and we’ll look at travel restarting as soon as possible after that.”

He insisted: “We don’t yet understand the extent to which vaccinations reduce transmission and every country will need to be happy with any system used.

“The second point is new variants. We have to guard against these. The science is still catching up.”

Courts argued: “We had the earlier Global Travel Taskforce but a number of things have changed. It’s critical we take stock and work closely with all our sector colleagues to make progress.

“All you are hearing from other countries is an intention to do something.”

He told MPs: “We’re looking at a suite of factors, building on the suite of measures already in place. We would like to see travel facilitated in a way that is smoother, in a way that uses technology. I expect to see a suite of measures.”

Asked whether people can be confident to book summer holidays, Courts said: “We’ve seen this is an unpredictable virus. It is not possible to predict. It isn’t possible to tell individuals or families what to do.

“I suggest what people have to do is give themselves options, give themselves flexibility, look at booking terms, look at insurance.”

He confirmed the task force report would go to the Prime Minister for consideration before its recommendations are made public.

Courts said: “We will be laying out a plan in April and then looking to operationalize that. April 12 will be the date we report back to the Prime Minister. We then have a process of looking at the recommendations.”

He argued: “The date we should be concerned about is the date people are due to travel.

“The evidence looks promising but we want to make sure what is in place is sustainable. We have to be slightly cautious at the moment. This has to be robust.”

P&O Cruises and Cunard have “temporarily” stopped selling cruises

P&O Cruises and Cunard have “temporarily” stopped selling cruises due to depart before 21 June as the lines look to the government for greater clarity on when travel will be allowed to restart.

The date was laid out by prime minister Boris Johnson on Monday (22 February) as a potential milestone for when all Covid restrictions in England could be lifted.

 

Johnson said a relaunched Global Travel Taskforce would examine how and when international travel could be restarted through a newly commissioned report, due on 12 April – with travel not currently slated to resume until at least 17 May.

 

In a statement released on Friday (26 February), P&O and Cunard said sales for itineraries before 21 June had been halted as the lines “await more clarity on likely dates for domestic and international cruising”.

 

The brands said they were seeking “additional clarification to fully understand the requirements” announced by the prime minister earlier this week.

 

“These cruises have not been cancelled and there is no action required from any guests booked on these cruises,” a spokesperson said.

 

“Should it be necessary to extend our pause and cancel any more cruise dates then we will advise our guests as soon as possible.”

Government commits to testing ‘to open up international travel’

The launch of a Global Travel Taskforce ‘to open up international travel and boost our business’ has been confirmed.

It will consider how a testing regime for international arrivals could be implemented to boost safe travel to and from the UK, what steps can be taken to facilitate business and leisure travel through testing and non-testing means and how to increase consumer confidence to support the recovery of international travel.

The current rules around the 14-day self-isolation policy remain in place.

The task force was launched in collaboration between the Department for Transport and the Department of Health and Social Care which said they have been working with clinicians, health experts and the private testing sector on the practicalities of testing international arrivals.

They said the next step is to develop an “operationalised approach” to “work at pace with industry on implementation” of testing and to “identify options to reduce the self-isolation period while protecting public health”.

The task force will look at the feasibility of a single test taken after a period of self-isolation, provided by the private sector and at the cost of the passenger.

It will work with medical experts to better understand when a test should be taken based on the progression of the disease and with the private sector to ensure testing for international arrivals does not impact on NHS capacity.

Alternative testing models, including pilots with partner countries to determine whether self-isolation could be undertaken pre-departure, will also be explored.

The taskforce will be jointly chaired by the secretary of state for health, Matt Hancock, and transport secretary Grant Shapps, who first made the announcement via Twitter after a series of newspapers carried the story on Wednesday morning.

In the official announcement, Shapps said: “The current measures at the border have saved lives. Our understanding of the science now means we can intensify efforts to develop options for a testing regime and help reinvigorate our world-leading travel sector.

“This new task force will not only help us move towards safer, smoother international travel as we continue to battle this virus but will also support global connectivity – helping facilitate more covid secure travel whilst protecting the population from imported cases.”

On Twitter, he said: “Following agreement from medical experts, we are moving ahead with the next step to reduce the travel quarantine period by launching the Global Travel Taskforce to open up international travel & boost our businesses.

“The task force will implement a testing regime to reduce the self-isolation period, along with a wide range of other measures to enable travel whilst keeping coronavirus rates down.”

Hancock added: “It is vital we do everything we can to control the spread of the virus and our measures at the borders are designed to help keep the country safe, by preventing imported cases of Covid-19.

“We know how these measures have a significant impact on people’s lives and on the travel and tourism industries, so we are working hard across government to explore ways to open up international travel in a safe way.”

As previously reported, the task force is expected to put forward its initial recommendations next month.