The UK’s devolved nations’ governments are starting to give Britons a clearer picture about when domestic holidays may resume.
Different countries are reopening at different rates, and different types of holiday accommodation are getting the green light at different points.
So when can you book a self-catering holiday let?
Here’s what we know so far.
Self-catering holiday lets in England
When he announced his roadmap out of lockdown for England, Prime Minister Boris Johnson named 12 April as the earliest date from when self-contained holiday accommodation could open for overnight stays.
This includes self-catering holiday lets such as cottages, holiday homes and apartments, plus camping, glamping and caravan park options where facilities aren’t shared between households. However, only those in the same household or support bubble can stay together in the same property from this date.
Center Parcs and Haven signalled they will reopen from 12 April, as well as some Forest Holidays locations.
All other types of holiday accommodation in England can open from 17 May at the earliest.
Self-catering holiday lets in Wales
Wales has announced an earlier date for self-catering holiday lets. Self-contained properties can open for Easter (from 27 March) according to Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford.
He told BBC Radio 4’s Today: “We will reopen self-contained accommodation in Wales for Easter.
“So that means if you have a caravan or you can hire a cottage, then you’ll be able to do that.
“That will be the first stage of reopening the tourist industry. Provided that goes well and successfully, then we will go on and reopen other parts of the industry.”
However, this does not mean English tourists can suddenly cross the border. According to the UK government’s own rules, travel is to be kept to a minimum and overnight stays are not permitted until at least 12 April.
“The prime minister’s roadmap says that, for the weeks after 29 March, people should minimise travel,” Mr Drakeford said.
“There are to be no holidays. And people won’t be able to stay away from home overnight.
“If it won’t be safe to stay overnight in England, then obviously it would not be possible for people to travel into Wales.”
Self-catering holiday lets in Scotland
Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has been more cautious when it comes to lifting restrictions on holidays. She has previously said: “Like everything else, I want to be able to stand here and say yep, you can fly off to the sun, but I’m not going to do that before I think there is a degree of certainty that that can be done without risk.
“While everyone wants international travel restrictions lifted, they are perhaps for this next period, the most important protection we are going to have.”
A date has not yet been given for when self-contained holiday lets can open in Scotland, but the general date from which Scotland is relaunching its levels or tiers system based on infection rates, and from when a phased reopening of society and the economy will begin – including non-essential retail, hospitality and services like gyms and hairdressers – is 26 April.
Nicola Sturgeon is expected to announce more details on 18 March.
Self-catering holiday lets in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland has set out its five-stage plan for easing coronavirus restrictions across nine sectors of life and the economy – though confusion remains around its lack of specific dates and details.
The roadmap out of lockdown, called “Moving Forward: The Executive’s Pathway Out of Restrictions”, does not use specific dates to map progress in the same way England’s plan does. Instead it sets out various health factors that will determine how and when the economy reopens.
Travel and tourism is one of the sectors included in the plan, and the timeline runs as follows: caravan sites, hotels, B&Bs and guesthouses can reopen in phase three (with some mitigations and shared facilities remain closed); hostels, campsites and other accommodation with shared facilities can reopen as part of stage four, plus hotels can offer a wider range of services; and the full return of leisure travel can resume in stage five.
Stormont is expected to announce further details on 16 March.
