The U.K. has long been considered the perfect "gateway destination" for U.S. clients traveling across the pond due to its lack of a language barrier, the ease of air connectivity and the density of iconic landmarks and cities within a relatively small area.
Now, as international travel continues to resume, there’s another reason American travelers should “stick to Britain,” according to tourism executives — and that's the fact that fully vaccinated inbound U.S. travelers are exempt from quarantine.
The EU recently removed the U.S. from its "safe list" — countries whose residents can travel to its member states without pandemic restrictions such as quarantines and testing. However, Paul Gauger, senior vice president for the Americas at VisitBritain, notes that since the U.K. is no longer a member of the EU, U.S. travelers who are fully vaccinated can start their vacation immediately when they arrive in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
“Britain is a perfect destination for Americans as they return to international travel, because they will find a wide variety of experiences easily accessible in our cities (and beyond), and reliable rail travel makes it easy to reach any region of Britain,” Gauger said.
That ease of connectivity creates opportunities for clients to embrace slow travel by extending their stay to see multiple destinations within the U.K. and have what Gauger describes as a “really personalized, meaningful experience.” The ability to easily travel to (and throughout) Britain may also be the reason VisitBritain is seeing a trend toward “revenge travel,” referring to a longer and/or more luxurious trip booked to make up for a lost year of travel.
We are hearing from consumers and travel agents that after a year at home, visitors are looking to treat themselves to that bucket-list kind of trip and experience something new.
"'Revenge travel' has been a term used since the end of 2020 as people were anxious to make plans once travel reopened,” said Tiffany LaVon Layne, founder and CEO of LaVon Travel & Lifestyle in New York City. “But for my clients, I would say they’re moving more toward slower and more experiential travel, where they give more time to a destination and indulge in immersive experiences. The U.K. is a great option because you can easily navigate and experience so much within the same travel corridor.”
Another benefit to a U.K.-only itinerary is — rather than risking unforeseen COVID-19-related snags when already abroad — travelers who’ve completed all U.K. entry requirements can travel freely between England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Common Travel Area (an open borders area comprising the U.K., the Republic of Ireland, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands).
For my clients, I would say they’re moving more toward slower and more experiential travel, where they give more time to a destination and indulge in immersive experiences. The U.K. is a great option because you can easily navigate and experience so much within the same travel corridor.
"Although one of our specialties is multi-country itineraries, we know it becomes a headache for everyone if one leg of the itinerary has an incompatible restriction," said Jeffrey Roy, vice president at Eurobound.
Barton Mathews, European operations manager at Eurobound, agrees.
“There are only a few countries in Europe that can compete with the U.K. in terms of breadth of experiences available, and this is especially the case with being able to move seamlessly across borders,” he said. “I hope it will lead to travelers exploring single countries in more depth — for instance, rather doing London, Paris [and] Rome, they may explore different areas within England after their time in London, such as Bath, York or the Lake District.”
Sticking to Britain certainly simplifies travel planning, but there’s also no shortage of activities, attractions and events taking place in the U.K. for the remainder of 2021 and into 2022, not the least of which is Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee celebration in June 2022 to mark her 70th year on the throne.
“We are hearing from consumers and travel agents that after a year at home, visitors are looking to treat themselves to that bucket-list kind of trip and experience something new,” Gauger said. “Agents should consider how to build those experiences into a trip, and also consider that Britain’s world-class hospitality, cultural attractions and natural beauty are available all year round.”
Because of that, Gauger recommends traveling in fall, winter, or spring when crowds are generally smaller. Plus, he notes, travel outside of peak season may also offer greater availability and reduced rates, making it even easier for all those “revenge travelers” to upgrade their experience and/or extend their trip by a few more nights.
COVID-19 Protocols: Know Before You Go
Agents should note that, regardless of vaccination status, all travelers visiting the U.K. need to complete the online Passenger Locator Form and must take a pre-departure COVID-19 test and a PCR test on or before the second day after their arrival (test appointments must be booked before travel). In addition to testing, unvaccinated travelers also need to complete a 10-day quarantine.
On Aug. 31, VisitBritain presented a webinar with ExpressTest, the sole provider of testing for arrivals at Heathrow, Gatwick, Edinburgh and Birmingham airports, to explain how clients can complete the “on or before Day 2” testing requirement upon arrival at the airport (as well as at locations throughout the U.K.).
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