How world events are impacting on all our travel plans in 2022

Where should we consider for a budget break?

Sat, 23 Apr, 2022 - 06:00

Clicking ‘book’ has rarely required more nerve. No sooner were people planning holidays following the Covid surge, than Putin sent further shockwaves through European travel.

But if those sprawling queues at our airports haven’t given the game away (with Dublin Airport now operating at 90% of pre-pandemic levels) it seems our pent-up wanderlust for sun, sea and ‘not-Russia,’ cannot be discouraged.

So where should we consider for a budget break? This week, I chatted to industry experts about their thoughts on summer 2022.

Russia on the Rack

One significant travel impact of the war in Ukraine is on Russia as a destination, literally and figuratively cancelled, with resorts such as Sochi and the nation’s popular cities likely to suffer most.

John Spollen, Cassidy Travel CEO says: “All our tours dealing with Russia were quickly pulled. So in terms of Irish travellers, that means our cruises to St Petersburg were typically rerouted to other destinations around the Baltic. And on that, Baltic States are still doing well and are not as affected as people thought. Despite the war which we and our customers are acutely aware of, I think there’s a consumer confidence out there now.”

More Room at the Inn

Due to sanctions and the falling ruble, the collapse of the huge and ever-growing outbound Russian tourism spells a major impact for some of their most popular markets from Turkey to Thailand.

Spollen explains: “Russians made 45m overseas trips in 2019, so now many destinations are writing off these tourists. As a result, in Europe, you’ll find many destinations like Turkey, Cyprus and Croatia with thousands of beds to fill which could mean better value for consumers.”

Balancing the Budget

Mary Denton, CEO of Sunway Holidays, says people are a bit cautious about spending big: “When we were coming out of Covid, things were looking great, and people were booking holidays but while the invasion in Ukraine initially saw things slow down somewhat, it’s not having a big impact on bookings. What is having an impact on, however, is the cost of living, so it’s more people’s pockets that are impacting decisions rather than a concern about travelling. I think perhaps people are a little more cautious right now. They’ve had no summer holiday for the last three years, they’ve perhaps built up some savings, but now, with day to day costs, the last few weeks have been particularly tough on people.”

Favourite Destinations

Of the hundreds of thousands of us planning to travel, where are we planning to lay out our beach towels? It seems that a combination of old favourites and bucket list options are really taking off.

“Despite all the world events, bookings are still really strong and Spain and Portugal are always our top destinations, but we’re now seeing both Turkey and Greece becoming very popular as well as destinations like Morocco which are proving very popular down to their great price,” Denton explains.

“I think there’s a lot more confidence now in terms of Covid too; most of the passenger locator forms are now gone — Spain just removed theirs last week — and I think if people are fully vaccinated and take all the precautions, they can travel with a lot more confidence.”

Insurance is the Best Policy

Amid the reality of Covid still impacting travel arrangements, interest in travel insurance is understandably soaring.

“Our policies provide cover for emergency medical and other expenses incurred abroad if you catch Covid-19,” says Jason Whelan, head of travel insurance, Blue Insurance.

“That cover provides for any reasonable additional transport or accommodation expenses incurred, up to the standard of your original booking; if it is medically necessary for you to stay beyond your scheduled return date, up to the amount of €2,000.”

Policies also include cover for irrecoverable, unused, pre-paid charges (eg match or concert tickets) if you receive a Covid diagnosis within 14 days of your trip’s start date and can’t travel for medical reasons.

Deals of the Week

NYC & Jamaica!

A trip is twice as nice when it’s a twin gateway escape to the Caribbean and the US with Cassidy Travel. Their Double the Fun in New York & Jamaica trip is a 10-night getaway: three nights in the four-star Mela Hotel, off Times Square in Manhattan, before you jet off for a seven-night all-inclusive stay at the four-star Riu hotel on Jamaica’s iconic Montego Bay.

Prices from €1979pp including return flights from Dublin.

cassidytravel.ie

Sunway Deals

Sunway is offering great packages across the Mediterranean this summer, from Majorca to Malta, but if you’re looking for a budget option, consider looking a little further east this summer.

Kusadasi, one of Turkey’s top resorts, may be on the touristy side but tear yourself away from your hotel pool to enjoy excellent nearby attractions — from the ancient city of Ephesus to the Greek Island of Samos.

May departures from Dublin start from €399pp based on flights, transfers and a B&B stay at the four-star Golden Day Wings hotel.

sunway.ie

Aer Lingus Breaks

The airline is currently offering a three-night city break in Barcelona from €339pps. The deal includes return flights from Dublin to Barcelona as well as accommodation at the reasonably-rated Onix Liceo Hotel. The four-star property is just one block from the thriving Las Ramblas strip meaning you’ll spend less on Ubers and have more money for wine and tapas. This fare is based on travel in May 2022 but for more packages see holidays with aerlingus.com

Morocco Value

Morocco is one of the destinations offering the best value right now and if you’re looking for an alternative to Agadir, consider thriving, trending Marrakech. Tropical Sky has a seven-night all-inclusive package at the star Iberostar Club Palmeraie, just 15 minutes from the city. The package which starts from 719pp also includes flights from Dublin, private transfers and is valid for travel between May 1, 2022 and October 31, 2023.

Tropicalsky.ie