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January 2021 Travel News
RESEARCH REVEALS 93% WOULD TAKE VACCINE
TO GO ON HOLIDAY A
S the world prepares to welcome 2021, specialist travel insurance firm Medical Travel Compared has surveyed 2,000 holidaymakers to reveal how
we’re all feeling about vaccinating against COVID-19 in order to holiday abroad in the new year.
Top 3 reasons for not taking the vaccine:
• I don’t trust the vaccine – 35% • I’m scared about the side effects of the vaccine – 17% • I want others to take the vaccine before I take it – 13% The outlook of travel in the new year remains positive
across the UK. 70% of respondents indicated they were more likely to start travelling abroad again once they had received the vaccine. 76% said that they would still go on holiday if they
were required to take a COVID-19 test on arrival at their destination and 75% said they would be willing to take the test upon departure. Despite the positive sentiments expressed about the
vaccine, the survey also revealed 43% still feel unsafe when it comes to travelling abroad. The most pressing issue of concern, shared by 66% of respondents, is whether or not their travel insurance will cover COVID-19 should they contract the virus. Despite concerns, 36% indicated they intend to book a
holiday in the near future, with most people saying they would choose to vacation in Europe. The most popular month to book a holiday in 2021 is May, followed by April 2021 and June 2021 respectively.
Here’s what else Britons had to say regarding their future travel concerns and what would make them feel safer about travelling in 2021:
• “Mandatory testing before travel and repeated tests in resorts.” • “A health passport system is part of the solution to situations like this.” • “Vaccination instead of isolation on my return.” • “All travellers on the plane should have a negative test before flying.” • “I would feel happier once European countries had rolled out a vaccination programme comprehensively.” • “I would need to know if I can afford health insurance before I travel.” • “Cost of holiday insurance once [the UK is] out of the EU is a worry.” Each UK country’s positive outlook on COVID travel after the vaccine Wales led the positive poll with 96% of respondents
agreeing to a COVID-vaccination for travel, with Scotland coming up tops with 40% of those surveyed confirming they feel safer about travelling abroad in the future. In England 93% of the population agreed to a
Covid vaccination (for travel) while 38% said they feel safe travelling in the future. The most important Covid-related travel safety measure listed in the survey for England was: “My travel insurance will cover COVID-19”. In Scotland 94% of the population agreed to a
Covid vaccination (for travel) while 40% said they feel safe travelling in the future. The most important
Covid-related travel safety measure listed in the survey for Scotland was: “My travel insurance will cover COVID-19”. 96% of survey respondents in Wales said they would
agree to a Covid vaccination (for travel) while 31% said they feel safe travelling in the future. The most important Covid-related travel safety measure listed in the survey for Wales was: “Everyone who travels abroad has to have had a COVID-19 vaccination”. In Northern Ireland 93% of survey respondents said
they would agree to a Covid vaccination (for travel) while 52% said they feel safe travelling in the future. The most important Covid-related travel safety measure listed in the survey for Northern Ireland was: “Everyone who travels abroad has to test negative for a COVID-19 test beforehand.” Tommy Lloyd, Managing Director at Medical Travel Compared said: “Over the past 10 months, COVID-19 has had a tremendous impact on how the world travels, with many finding their holiday plans derailed as they quite rightly focus on staying safe and healthy in these unprecedented times. It’s encouraging to see that with the rollout of the UK’s vaccine programme, confidence in travelling is set to return in a big way, with the majority of travellers intending to travel again once they have been vaccinated. “However, even with the vaccination safeguarding travellers against the virus, many are still worried about their safety whilst travelling, with having travel insurance protection against COVID-19 a key concern.”
WIN
A Two Night Mid-Week Break for Two at the Slieve Donard Resort & Spa
At the Slieve Donard Resort and Spa guests can experience the finest culinary delights in all their restaurants, and their Chefs pride themselves on using the finest fresh local seasonal produce to create an array of delicious menus. Breakfast, dinner, our famous Afternoon Tea and Sunday Lunch are served in the famous Oak Restaurant, with its charming beams and fabulous central fireplace.
The hotel boasts an extensive range of dining and socialising options including Chaplin’s Bar and the Lighthouse Lounge. The Percy French Inn, complete with log fire, is a cosy informal bar and restaurant which lies within the grounds of the resort - perfect for a tasty lunch or pint by the fireside.
The Hastings collection has seven luxurious hotels across the province, including the five star Culloden Estate and Spa, the world famous Europa hotel, the four star Stormont hotel and Northern Ireland’s largest new hotel, The Grand Central Hotel - all situated in Belfast. Outside the capital, the magnificent Slieve Donard
Resort and Spa is situated adjacent to the famous Royal County Down Golf course, rated the best course in the world in 2016-2017. The Group also owns the four star Everglades Hotel in Derry-Londonderry – Northern Ireland’s second city, and the historic Ballygally Castle set on the stunning Antrim coast at the gateway
to the nine Glens of Antrim, a short drive from the Giant’s Causeway and world- famous Games of Thrones Tour.
Q: How many other hotels are there in the Hastings Hotel Group?
93% of survey respondents in Northern Ireland said they would agree to a Covid vaccination (for travel) while 52% said they feel safe travelling in the future
Jet2 Top for Providing Customer Refunds Finds Survey
Jet2.com and Jet2holidays have recently confirmed
JET2.COM and Jet2holidays have once again been ranked as the best travel firms for providing refunds on the back of the Covid-19 pandemic, according to the latest travel refund cancellation survey of more than 40,000 people by
MoneySavingExpert.com (MSE). The survey, which is the third this year looking at
refunds for those unable to travel due to coronavirus by MSE, was conducted between 19th November and 4th December. It asked customers who have had bookings cancelled by firms whether they have received a full refund or not and found that overall, 51% had not received their money back. However, 89% of the 1,722 customers who have dealt with
Jet2.com and 89% of the 1,454 customers who have dealt with Jet2holidays stated that they received a full refund, making them the top travel firms who had paid out the highest proportion of full refunds of all 64 companies in the list. As well as this,
Jet2.com and Jet2holidays received a
positive score from respondents in regards, to the refund experience for customers. The survey asked people how they felt about their ‘refund experience’, by asking them to rate it as ‘great’, ‘OK’ or ‘poor’, and whether they actually received one. Each company was ranked by taking the percentage of those who had a ‘great’ experience with the company and subtracting the percentage who had a ‘poor’ experience to give an overall ‘net experience score’. The results of the survey show that Jet2holidays had
a score of +76% making it the number one tour operator for refunds, while
Jet2.com ranked as the number one airline with a score of +75%.
that it has refunded over £1bn to customers affected by programme changes since March, as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. As a result of this customer-first strategy,
Jet2.com
and Jet2holidays have been praised throughout the pandemic by customers, consumer organisations and independent travel agents for how they have looked after those who have been affected by any programme changes. Whether processing swift refunds or helping save customers’ holidays by offering flexible rebook options, the company has experienced positive feedback for its approach. As well as ranking as the number one and two travel
firms for providing refunds once again in the latest
MoneySavingExpert.com (MSE) survey,
Jet2.com was also recognised as the only UK airline to promptly provide refunds without significant backlogs, following a review by the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). Steve Heapy, CEO of
Jet2.com and Jet2holidays,
said: “We are delighted to have received such positive feedback in this survey, which is based on the experiences of thousands of paying customers. Our number one priority is to look after our customers and this will not change for anything, including the pandemic, and the feedback we continue to receive shows we have done the right thing throughout. We are proud to have looked after our customers during the difficult times and we know that customers will remember these actions not only now but in the future.”
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Terms & Conditions
The prize is for a mid-week two night stay for two in a double room courtesy of the Slieve Donard Resort & Spa ● All dates requested are subject to availability ● The prize winner and companion must stay together ● The
prize is non-transferable, subject to availability and there is no cash alternative in whole or in part ● The prize is valid for 6 months from issue ● The winner should be over 18 years of age and a UK resident ● The competition is provided by the Slieve Donard Resort & Spa and Northern Ireland Travel News accepts no responsibility from losses that may arise ● Any person entering the competition or accepting or using any prize agrees to
release, discharge, and to hold harmless Northern Ireland Travel News, Slieve Donard Resort & Spa and each of their respective affiliates employees, officers, directors, and representatives from any claims, losses, and damages arising out of their participation in the competition or the acceptance or use or misuse of any prize
● Employees of Alieve Donard Resort & Spa, Northern Ireland Travel News and their families are not eligible to enter ● Northern Ireland Travel News and Slieve Donard Resort & Spa’s decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into ● All prize claims are subject to verification by the Sponsors ● The name of the winner will be published in the February 2021 issue of NI Travel News ● All entries must be on the official entry coupon and are strictly limited to one per household and should arrive by first post on the closing date of Friday January 29, 2021
www.hastingshotels.com
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