Holidaymakers are being forced to spend more than £1000 to fly to popular European destinations for the summer as the cost of overseas travel increases.
The cost of summer holidays plummeted in recent years as demand fell following the Covid pandemic.
But prices are soaring after bookings surged in recent months following the British government’s decision to axe all Covid travel restrictions.
For instance travelling from London Heathrow to Malaga on a return flight in economy on May 28 and June 4 costs £1,028 or £4,112 for a family of four, The Telegraph reported.
All Covid travel measures were axed in the UK last month despite Covid cases continuing to rise.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said lifting the requirements, which include pre-travel tests for unvaccinated people, would allow “greater freedom in time for Easter” to go abroad.
Demand for foreign holidays has jumped since the start of the year and there is a new-found “air of positivity” within the sector, airline executives said in response to the move.
Derek Jones, chief executive of Kuoni, a tourism company, said bookings had surged in recent months for destinations including the Maldives, Mauritius, the Caribbean and Europe.
“The removal of all travel restrictions is the final game-changer – people can now go on holiday or visit family and friends overseas without all of the stress that comes with testing before they return home,” he said.
