Rail travel and romantic breaks among first to bounce back

In a survey among it customers, Original Travel found many people would be looking to experience the great outdoors when emerging from lockdown, with 48% saying they planned to visit “somewhere outdoorsy” to enjoy some wide-open spaces.

Overwhelmingly though, the purpose of that first trip away will be “simply to enjoy being able to travel again”, which 85% of clients said would be their reason to get away.

The results reflect the travel hopes of 180 respondents, 27% of which said they opted for “somewhere Zen and low-key”, having become used to a slower pace of life under the coronavirus restrictions of the past weeks.

Travellers are likely to avoid cities, with only 15% of Original Travel clients saying they wanted to be “somewhere busy and buzzy to be around people again”.

Most respondents to the survey (59%) said their first trip away would be with just their partner.

In addition, 80% of Original Travel’s current enquiries are from couples who have had to cancel their weddings this year and want to make up for it with a bigger and better honeymoon in 2021.

Another big area of travel to come back fairly quickly would be “3G” or, “three generational travel”, where the focus will be on grandparents spending time with grandchildren to give parents a break.

The survey also found that 12% of people will be travelling for a special occasion to make up for a missed celebration, such as a birthday or anniversary, which also suggests big family get-togethers.

Short-haul travel could also remain popular as “the first to make a comeback, until travellers’ confidence has been restored enough to venture further afield”, the operator said.

Trips to France, and a new collection of rail-only itineraries from London travelling through France, Spain, Italy, Scandinavia, Switzerland, Austria and Romania could also be popular, “attracting those wanting to avoid airports and packed planes for a short hop away”.

Original Travel already offsets the carbon footprint of clients’ international flights, but also – said to be an industry-first – their car-hire and other flights, even if booked independently.