Derby residents keen to travel again

A travel agency in Derby wants the Government to make rules clearer, as residents seek to jet off for winter sunshine

Author: Beth GavaghanPublished 16th Sep 2021

Travel agencies in Derbyshire are hoping that the traffic light travel zones are getting replaced by the rumoured two-tier system.

The government's new introduction would categorize countries into no-go areas or places deemed safe to visit.

Derbyshire residents starting to regain travel confidence

Branch manager for Your Co-op Travel Louis Roughton in Derby noted that customers are showing more willingness to travel again due to feeling more protected. She said:

"People feel like they have got options because they have had a double-vaccination. Particularly we've seen places like the Spanish Islands and Canary Islands be very popular, and obviously going into the winter those kind of destinations are number one really for a bit of winter sunshine and I think we all need it after what we've been through."

Organising trips abroad

Travellers have found the process of getting tested to come back into the UK to be a strain on their time and money, and it has put some people off from trying to get anywhere.

Louis Roughton from 'Your Co-op Travel' also noted that sometimes navigating the various restrictions, as well as PCR tests can be challenging for customers. But it has been speculated by some that Boris Johnson will announce a change to the travel rules in the near future.

In a press conference on Tuesday, the Prime Minister said that they are trying to reduce the complications around testing for people re-entering the country. This may be a relief for people in Derbyshire who are confused by the quarantining requirements and do not want to have to pay for as PCR test. Roughton added:

"When customers do visit the branch and just want to enquire, at that point when we do then talk through what some of the requirements may be for the areas they are travelling to, it does put some customers off. That is a difficult barrier to overcome."

Roughton also noted that it can be difficult to explain to customers what parts of the world are safe to travel to, and is hoping that the government can soon offer some more clarity so that people can plan ahead and feel safe when they are travelling. She said:

"With the consistent changes happening throughout the last 18 months from the Government releasing the traffic light system, having different rules for different countries obviously has been very difficult to explain to customers. That has been a challenge."

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