A Dundee travel agent says it’s seen a boom in business after changes to amber list rules were announced by Nicola Sturgeon.
The first minister’s update on Tuesday confirmed the move to Level 0 across the country on July 19.
Those returning from amber list countries, including Tenerife and Greece, will no longer need to isolate if they have had both their vaccine doses.
Hays Travel managing director John Stewart says it has brought an upturn in business after a difficult year for travel companies.
‘Large number of customers rebooking’
He said: “We’ve been doing one week’s worth of business in just one day.
“Even with the Balearics moving from green to amber, we’ve had some people cancelling and some people still choosing to continue their holidays.
“Most of all, we’ve experienced a large number of customers returning to us to re-book holidays as we were quick to refund them when restrictions affected their holidays earlier in the year.”
However, the switch has made holiday planning difficult for families with unvaccinated children.
John said: “We had two guys who booked their holiday no bother, as they’ve had both vaccines.
“But we’ve also had families with children having to cancel as they haven’t been vaccinated yet.”
Despite the rule change, the Scottish Government still advises against non-essential travel.
John points out that Dundee is in a worse position than many foreign locations.
He said: “Often these holiday destinations have lower rates of Covid than Dundee.
“You would struggle to find somewhere with worse rates.”
Healthcare assistant Dillon McGuiness initially booked a week away in May, but restrictions forced a cancellation.
“[Travel agent] Lesley’s been great,” said Dillon, 22. “I’ve been on and off the phone to her countless times.
“I wasn’t sure what to do as the restrictions kept changing.
“I’ve been hanging off to see what would happen.”
Dillon has since rebooked his holiday in Tenerife for this August.
He said: “With the rules changing, I’ve been kept updated about everything.
“Now I’m looking forward to finally getting away.”
Travel agent John added: “Ibiza changing from green to amber was a big one.
“Ibiza has such a big following and some people who have had both vaccines are still keen to push ahead with their holiday.
“Right now, with all of the rules and guidance, people need a travel expert.
“We keep our customers updated about entry requirements for the destination, any tests needed in resorts, passenger locator forms for returning home, and any requirements from the Scottish Government upon returning home.”