What are our prospects for a summer holiday abroad?
Next week we are expecting the second review of the traffic light ratings. I hate to strike a negative note, but when the announcement is made on Thursday (June 24), I just cant see the Government deciding to give the green light to any significant destinations. I really hope Im wrong. After all, logic would say that the situation is looking more positive than ever from a travel point of view. According to the raw data, infection rates across the whole of western Europe (bar Georgia) are now lower than they are in the UK. And while, across the Channel, they are mostly falling, here they have been rising for the last month. Frankly, heading for the continent looks like a safer bet than staying at home. But despite this data, it seems to me inconceivable that ministers would suddenly decide to start taking the brakes off international travel when they have only just postponed the lifting of restrictions in England. Even for a government which specialises in mixed messaging, that would surely give off too many negative vibes. Talking of mixed messaging, it has now become quite clear that the traffic light system, which we hoped would be a progressive construct which would enable a steady unlocking of holiday destinations, is being used in an entirely different way. Initially it enabled the Government to end the rather disturbing situation where it was illegal for us to travel abroad. But it has since been manipulated to create as many obstacles as possible to prevent us from exercising that freedom. A month after travel restarted there are now no significant destinations with a green rating.