British holidaymakers are flocking to Greece in lieu of Spain as the busiest month for summer holidays gets underway.
The chairman of Sunvil Holiday Group, Noel Josephides has reported a sudden rise in enquiries for 'last-minute, flight-only' bookings to Greece, and not from the company's usual 50-plus demographic. “We know they are people who were likely to go to Spain,” he told iNews.
It comes as Europe's largest tour operator Tui extended the cancellation of all UK holidays to the Spanish Balearic Islands and Canary Islands until August 10 and all holidays to mainland Spain until August 17. Jet2 has also been contacting customers already on holiday there and requesting they fly home earlier; sending empty planes to repatriate them.
Both operators have added extra added services to Greece in order to meet demand.
Greece has fared well through the pandemic compared to the rest of Europe, with only 3.7 new Covid-19 cases per 100,000 residents in the past 14 days. The UK has registered 14 per 100,000 over the same period.
Elsewhere, senior ministers in France and Germany have both warned of possible new lockdowns, and Matt Hancock has said it is "quite likely" that further countries will be dropped from the FCO's quarantine-exempt list as fears of a second wave grips Europe.
08:32 AM
Jet2 'will refund customers returning early from Spain'
Jet2 will refund customers on holiday in Spain who have been asked to return to the UK early, it has been reported.
The airline on Thursday cancelled flights to the UK for hundreds of passengers. But today Jet2 told the BBC that it is operating empty flights to pick up passengers from Spain until August 3. The airline will also refund unused nights for customers forced to come back early by the flight cancellations.
Jet2 said it was "responding to a very fast-moving situation with updates coming from the Government with little or no notice, and we have had to make decisions about our programme accordingly".
"We can assure these customers that we will be in touch with them to resolve any issues that they may have," the airline added.
08:27 AM
Yesterday's top headlines
A recap:
- President of Balearics urges UK to drop blanket travel ban
- Face masks to become mandatory in museums in England
- Antigua to welcome first post-lockdown UK flight – and it's full
- Portugal reopens nightclubs yet country remains on quarantine list
- Luxembourg added to list of countries requiring 14-day quarantine
- Tui and Jet2 cancel more holidays to Spain and its islands
