Holiday bookings to Spain, Greece and other destinations soared Monday evening – after British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced travel could restart from mid-May.
EasyJet says reservations on its flights from Britain jumped by more than 300%.
Holiday company TUI UK also reported a 500% increase on bookings – both compared to a week ago.
The airline Jet2 said its bookings had also increased by more than 600%.
There is still uncertainty over exactly how and when international routes can reopen, with many industry executives demanding a clear roadmap for the overall aviation industry to get things moving again.
UK holidaymakers will know more on 12 April, when the government publishes a travel review. It has said that a lockdown ban on most international travel will stay until at least May 17.
However, airlines have said they will need notice to plan summer schedules – a process which takes months.
Britain’s route back to normality is being helped by the rapid progress it is making with its vaccine plan. Over 17.7 million people have already had a first dose of the jab. The government is also considering options for vaccine passports.
However, slower vaccine programmes across Europe could still scupper the recovery in cross-border tourism this summer.
Simon Press, Senior Exhibition Director at World Travel Market in London, talked to Euronews about whether such early bookings are risky – and whether airlines are providing new guarantees.
Watch the full interview in the above player.
