ABTA – The Travel Association is welcoming the return of international travel with new guidance to help travellers get ready for their long-awaited overseas holidays and reunions with loved ones abroad.

This comes following the Government’s confirmation that people travelling from England and Scotland will be allowed to go on foreign holidays from 17 May, with approaches to reopening international travel for people travelling from Wales and Northern Ireland expected to be announced soon.

The new guidance includes Government requirements for travel to help holidaymakers understand the new requirements for travel under the traffic light system and the importance of checking the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office travel advice for the country they are visiting.

Get ready for travel: your essential guide provides holidaymakers with a vital checklist of things to do before they go away as well as highlighting how travelling abroad during the pandemic may be different than it was before. This includes new health and safety measures on the journey and in-destination, such as enhanced cleaning procedures, the use of protective screens, wearing a face covering, practising social distancing, and using apps to store tickets and boarding passes.

The advice also reminds holidaymakers of the importance of booking their holidays with a travel professional who can give them the latest advice on where to travel, keep them up to date on any changes that will affect their plans, and provide them with the protections offered by a package holiday.

The new guidance from ABTA is the first phase of the travel association’s new #ReadySteadyTravel campaign which is designed to provide holidaymakers with the guidance and support they need to book and travel with confidence as international travel reopens.

Mark Tanzer, Chief Executive of ABTA – The Travel Association said:

“It’s been a long time since many of us have been able to enjoy an overseas break and there will be new requirements for travel which may be unfamiliar at first.

“Our new guidance is designed to remind travellers of all the usual things they need to do before going on holiday, like taking out travel insurance and renewing their passport if needed, as well as helping them to understand the new requirements for travel, like the traffic light system.

“International travel seems likely to open up as the rate of infection continues to drop in popular holiday destinations around the world, as the devolved nations continue to set out their approach for the safe return of travel, and as pent-up demand translates into bookings.

“We look forward to helping everyone travelling this year look forward to a safe and enjoyable break.”

ABTA’s checklist for travelling with confidence includes:

• Speak to an ABTA Member travel professional to find the best holiday for you and guide you through each step of the journey.
• Check the latest Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office travel advice for your destination to find the latest entry requirements and local rules relating to Coronavirus.
• Check the Government’s traffic light list to find out what you need to do for your journey back to the UK.
• Make out travel insurance as soon as you book and check its cover for Coronavirus.
• Make sure all your travel documents are in order, e.g. your passport is valid for your travel dates and you’ve applied for the visas you need.
• Research the new measures that will be in place on your journey and in-destination, e.g. the rules around face coverings and social distancing.
• If you’re travelling to Europe, check what extra steps you need to take before you go at abta.com/Brexit.
   

Notes to editors
ABTA has been a trusted travel brand for over 70 years. Our purpose is to help our Members to grow their businesses successfully and sustainably, and to help their customers travel with confidence. The ABTA brand stands for support, protection and expertise. This means consumers have confidence in ABTA and a strong trust in ABTA Members. These qualities are core to us as they ensure that holidaymakers remain confident in the holiday products that they buy from our Members.

We help our Members and their customers navigate through today's changing travel landscape by raising standards in the industry; offering schemes of financial protection; providing an independent complaints resolution service should something go wrong; giving guidance on issues from sustainability to health and safety and by presenting a united voice to government to ensure the industry and the public get a fair deal.

ABTA has more than 4,300 travel brands in Membership, providing a wide range of leisure and business travel services, with a combined annual UK turnover of £39 billion. For more details about what we do, what being an ABTA Member means and how we help the British public travel with confidence visit www.abta.com.