On Friday, the government presented new travel advice. From 5 July, it will be easier for Norwegians to travel in Europe, as the authorities no longer advise against unnecessary travel to the EEA countries, the United Kingdom and Switzerland.
It was long-awaited news for many travel-loving Norwegians, who have seriously made summer plans this weekend. Despite the fact that the authorities still recommend Norwegian holidays this summer, there were very many who threw themselves around and booked a trip to the south this weekend.
– We understood that it was going to go well, because already during the press conference we got a run of phones, says Beatriz Rivera, communications manager at Apollo.
Sales continued through the weekend, and on Monday it peaked for the tour operator:
– Monday was actually our best sales day since the corona pandemic started, Rivera says.
Three destinations stand out
Apollo was not alone in experiencing record numbers after the government’s press conference.
– It was an explosion of bookings, it was the best of the year on most verticals. We saw that it was booked abroad. Until now, it has been booked mostly to Norway, but now we see that you go to the usual destinations with the family, says Terje Berge, commercial director of Finn Reise.
By the “usual places”, Berge means well-known and beloved holiday gems such as Spain, Greece and Croatia:
– 80 percent of all bookings this weekend were to these destinations, so that says a bit, says the travel manager.
Apollo also experiences that many people move to the Mediterranean this summer. Rivera believes there are two reasons in particular why Greece in particular is so popular.
– Greece and the island of Naxos continue to be a highly sought after holiday destination for Norwegians. Photo: Thanassis Stavrakis / AP Photo
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– Norwegians order first and foremost to Greece, it is a clear favorite. This is partly because they have handled the pandemic well, but also because many have been on holiday in Greece for many years and know that it is a safe country where the health service works.
Lots of confusion
The desire to travel is high among many Norwegians, but so is the confusion. A long list of travel rules and exceptions to these means that the phone rarely stands still with the travel operators.
– What we notice first and foremost are an incredible number of questions, with many wondering what applies to them. There is an unbelievably large influx of our operators, but we try to explain it as best we can, says Rivera.
According to Marie-Anne Zachrisson, country manager at Ving, there is one thing in particular that worries callers:
– We receive many inquiries from customers who have booked, but also who are considering traveling. The questions are about the rules for the areas where we travel to, but most of all about the rules when you travel home again, says Zachrisson.
Where fully vaccinated according to the new travel rules are exempt from quarantine, both “protected” persons, ie those who have received the first dose of vaccine, and unvaccinated will as a general rule end up in quarantine after entry into Norway.
– Among other things, families with children will fall into these categories. A lot of parents call us and are worried about what happens when they come home, and they make up a large proportion of our customer group, says Zachrisson.
Gambler on change
The exemption from the quarantine obligation applies to the countries NIPH considers green. These are continuously updated, and will depend on the infection pressure in each individual country. At the time of writing, only four countries have status as green, but more and more are taking the chance that red countries get status as green during the summer. This can be risky, and Apollo therefore sees that many secure themselves when booking travel.
– People expect more countries to become green. You are unsure, but therefore many choose to book package flights rather than scheduled flights, as this is safer and you will be secured in the event of a cancellation or cancellation, Rivera explains.
She still comes with a final reminder to anyone who can not wait to brush the dust off the passport:
– The pandemic is unpredictable and things change quickly.
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