Holidays on hold - Where will Northern Ireland folk be going this summer?

Like many of us at the moment, Belfast woman Helen McClements’ holiday plans are up in the air.

In previous years the blogger and mum-of-two knew exactly what she’d be doing.

‘‘There’s a weekend in my annual diary which is completely ring-fenced. It is non-negotiable and my family knows that.

‘‘On the Bank Holiday weekend in August I would be in Spain, with my friends, end of. We go for four nights and our plans have a delightful simplicity: the only requirements being that the hotel has a pool and is all-inclusive.’’

So, what’s her plan then for this year?

‘‘The hotel is booked, and has been since February, however, we don’t know if it will be accepting guests,’’ said Helen.

‘‘Currently Spain is planning to quarantine all tourists for a least a fortnight.

‘‘One of my friends is determined to go anyway- she assures me that numerous flights still leave London every day. If the hotel isn’t open for business, she wants to go and find an apartment.

‘‘Another close friend lives in Barcelona. She is worried about her friends who work in the tourist industry, on which their livelihood depends. ‘Come if you can,’ she urges. But I am reluctant. I am anxious because we have been adhering to social distancing guidelines here.’’

Helen added: ‘‘Despite the claims made by airlines that the air is filtered and clean (despite being recirculated) I remain unconvinced. In short, I do not want to jeopardise the health of my family for a weekend in the sun.

‘‘We have already abandoned all notion of a family holiday abroad and may not even bother going down South, even though my husband adores his July jaunts to Galway, which he starts chatting about with animation mid-May. What’s the point really, when the pubs won’t open until August 10?.’’

In short, Helen said she has no idea what her and her family will do this summer.

‘‘At the moment, when the idea of a coffee on Belfast’s Ormeau Road seems like an indulgence, and the thought of a barbecue in my friends’ back garden has me hopping from foot to foot with glee, I reckon I’m going to lower my expectations and be content with less this year.’’

She added: ‘‘Frankly, it seems churlish, when faced with a global pandemic, to be bemoaning that my holidays in the sun have been curbed. I’m just clinging on to the hope that by next year, some semblance of normality will have returned and I can get packing my bikini and sun-cream again.’’

Earlier this week the health secretary Matt Hancock warned summer holidays are likely to be cancelled this year, as he said the public need to prepare for the “reality of life” in a period of physical distancing.

‘‘It’s unlikely big lavish international holidays are going to be possible for this summer. I just think that’s a reality of life,” he said.

Mr Hancock’s comments came as many airlines detailed plans to restart flights.

Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary said he planned to sell as many seats as possible this summer.

The airline is planning to operate nearly 1,000 flights a day from July. It said face coverings being worn by all crew and passengers and cashless on-board transactions would help keep passengers safe as well as a new system for toilet breaks. Passengers will have to ask crew to use the toilet to stop queues forming.

Meanwhile, easyJet has said it does not have a date for restarting flights, but is keeping the situation under review.

Mr Hancock’s announcement came despite government plans to introduce a 14-day quarantine for international travellers to prevent a second spike in the virus, infuriating airlines which planned to resume flying in the coming months.

John and Irene Hays, owners of travel company Hays Travel, which took over Thomas Cook’s shops last year, said the news has not dampened people’s enthusiasm to get away.

Mr Hays told BBC Radio 5 Live: “There is a real desire to go on holiday. People have been locked down, and in terms of new bookings we’re getting strong demand.”

Talking about trips which were booked earlier in the year, Mrs Hays added: “Many people are not cancelling, they are just deferring their holiday or in some cases holding on to a credit note for now.”

Mr Hays also thought that having to self-isolate at home for 14 days after returning from abroad may not stop people travelling.

“If people in the UK are already in lockdown, they might be happy to spend another fortnight at home. Some people might say go to Spain or somewhere, have a nice holiday and then come back and continue their lockdown,” he said.

Heidi McAlpin, writer and editor of Belfast & N.Ireland In Your Pocket visitor guide, had planned to take a cruise with her family and friends in August and is expecting it to be cancelled.

She said: ‘‘Nine years ago my family and I embarked on our first ever cruise, a blissful week sailing around the sunny Med.

‘‘The trip was made all the more fun when we hooked up with Michelle and Aidie Boyd and their three lovely young daughters from back home in Northern Ireland. You know what it’s like when you hear that familiar accent.

‘‘Fast forward almost a decade to August last year and the Boyds, with whom we had stayed good friends, suggested we all go on another cruise to celebrate Aidie’s 50th birthday in 2020.

‘‘Meanwhile, in heartbreaking contrast, my dad had been diagnosed with cancer and was entering the final few weeks of his life. It was against this stark backdrop that I decided to throw caution to the wind and make next year’s booking. Life, as they say, is for living.’’

Heidi added: ‘‘Then news of coronavirus broke and cruise ships, dubbed ‘floating Petri dishes’, took the first hit. Our dream holiday seemed doomed, and the true scale of the virus was soon scuppering everyone’s holiday plans.

‘‘ We are scheduled to sail on August 21, and the cruise company has yet to pull the trip. Which leaves us in financial ‘who’ll blink next’ limbo as we hold out for the inevitable cancellation.

‘‘Throw in Ryanair flights to join the ship in Barcelona and a few days’ pre-cruise stay in the Spanish city, and our Jenga tower of pre-paid bricks has all but tumbled.

‘‘We await the government’s official ban on international travel before starting the refunds process.

‘‘And while I do have a great deal of sympathy for the travel industry, I can’t help but feel as though they are using deposits and full payments as a form of ‘payday loan’ from a public whose livelihoods are in equal jeopardy.

‘‘For now, future trips will see us staying in NI, and possibly venturing into Ireland and GB if officialdom allows.’’

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