A whole new world awaits for holidaymakers

Now that travel restrictions are lifting or lifted and the world is opening up again, it’s clear people are hungry to get out and about once more. Claire Doherty, product director of Travel Department, says there is a real interest and bookings are coming in, which is causing flight prices to rise quickly. “People need to book as quickly as possible to ensure they get what they really want,” she says.

When Covid-19 restrictions lifted here at the end of January, it seems the first thing many people did was book a holiday. Destinations special report looks at how holiday-goers seem determined to make up for lost time.

[ The Irish Times ePaper ]

Best places to go

Doherty says that as people have not had a holiday in a while, they tend to be going for more all-inclusive holidays and “really ticking off bucket lists”. She says that Canada and farther afield are popular, and people are still enjoying the outdoors, great scenery and spending more time away.

“The likes of Croatia and Italy, which are old favourites, are still among the most popular with the Italian Lakes topping the popularity scales. However, we are also seeing more interest in the likes of Norway, particularly seeing the fjords, and really expanding horizons beyond the usual western European hotspots.”

Doherty recommends trips to western Canada and the Rockies, with a jaunt to Vancouver, stopping at Stanley Park, Chinatown and Gastown. You can take a Snowcoach ride on Athabasca Glacier for the best views of the Columbia Icefield. While there, you can visit Canada’s oldest national park on a trip to Banff with a stop at the bright blue waters of Lake Louise.

On the other side of the country, Niagara Falls awaits, where you can take a boat ride to the foot of the falls and experience its majesty up close. For those looking for some city sights, there’s Canada’s capital city Toronto to explore, or Francophiles can brush up on their French in Montreal – the world’s second-largest French-speaking city.

Closer to home, she says, Dubrovnik in Croatia, with its Old Town, Franciscan monastery and cathedral, is worth a visit, as is a trip to the Elaphiti Islands on a half-day boat trip. For lovers of Italy, she recommends Lake Garda with its incredible scenery as well as the medieval city of Bolzano, Venice for its ancient canals and beautiful architecture, or the medieval city of Verona, the home of Romeo and Juliet.

For those who aren't seeking the sun, Doherty says Norway is the place to go, with a fjord cruise along the Unesco World Heritage Site of Nærøyfjord, or take a trip along the Hardangerfjord to Hardanger, known as the "Orchard of Norway".

Winter wonderland

Michelle Anderson, Topflight marketing manager, says ski fans have been making a break for it this winter season and booking in their droves. “Our ski clients are determined to get to the slopes and now that it’s much easier: with the lifting of various protocols, there is nothing stopping them.

“At this stage, skiers are pining for the fresh, open-air environment that ski resorts offer.” She says that people are now used to “living with Covid, adapting to the changing rules, and nothing is going to stop them now. Also, the easing of restrictions at home helps to give that extra confidence.”

Ski conditions are reportedly fantastic across European resorts too, she says, making the lure of getting away this season even more irresistible. Austria has had the biggest share of the recent snowfall but conditions elsewhere are reported to be superb too with cold temperatures, blue skies and sunshine making for the ideal ski setting.

“People are looking to make up for lost time, to explore new places and experience new things,” Anderson says. “Ski holidays are just perfect for this time of year which, for a lot of people, is quite flat and uneventful. There is nothing that compares to a ski holiday and we find that the majority of first-time skiers that book with us will return to the slopes again. It’s addictive.”

Andorra is an excellent choice for first-time skiers and in particular the lively resort of Pas de la Casa.

For non-skiers, she suggests Tuscany – where both countryside and coast are growing in popularity for this summer – and Sorrento in Italy make excellent city breaks, whether for a weekend or something longer.