Changes to the travel regulations for Scotland which saw the removal of the pre departure test and a change from PCR to lateral flow test on day two for fully vaccinated travellers, have made an immediate impact on travel enquiries.

Mike Tibbert, president of The Scottish Passenger Agents’ Association (SPAA), the professional body for travel agents and the travel sector in Scotland says,

“Even at this early stage, with the announcement only being made late in the afternoon yesterday, our members are telling us that enquiries are up over 100% on the previous week and bookings are showing similar levels of growth.

“Travel agents across Scotland are looking forward to a busy weekend as customer sentiment towards travel increases in positivity. These changes are good for our whole sector.

“However, it should be remembered that, although figures of 100% increase in enquiries and bookings looks significant, the base figures were very low after two years of incredibly poor trading. The 100% increases which our members report are in fact around 60% of the levels they were trading at in a similar period in 2019.