Could vaccine news pave the way for 2021 holidays?

England’s second “lockdown” may have hampered hopes of a 2020 holiday, but the possibility of getting away next year became more of a reality this week as reports of a  coronavirus vaccine dominated the headlines.

Pharmaceutical giant, Pfizer, reported that vaccine against Covid-19 could be rolled out this year, if it passes its final stage of testing.

The news reportedly lead to a surge in holiday searches and bookings, with Skyscanner reporting an “immediate spike” in website visitors, noting that people were searching for Mediterranean summer beach holidays, Easter ski trips and holidays to the Canary Islands, the Maldives, New York and Florida. 

There was further positive news on Thursday evening (12 Nov) too, with the government announcing travel corridors for the UAE, Qatar, Iceland and Chile (once lockdown restrictions are lifted), opening up long-haul destinations and paving the way for travel plans from December.

These corridors, the Pfizer announcement and talk of a mass-testing regime across Europe provides some confidence for those craving a holiday look forward to, bringing some much needed light to what has been a very dark few months for everyone.

If you are looking to book, there are some great deals to be had at the moment, as the expected rise in prices does not seem to have happened yet – Skyscanner reporting that prices for travel in 2021 were much cheaper than usual, with flights to Spain in April for £10 each way.

There is hope that the government’s Global Travel Taskforce will bring more good news in the coming weeks, but we understand you may still be cautious about how Coronavirus may impact your plans. That’s why we have enhanced Covid-19 cover on some of our Travel Insurance policies. Find out more about Travel Insurance for coronavirus here.

Please note you will not be covered if you travel to a destination where the FCDO have advised against all, or all but essential travel, or if you travel against government advice.