The 12th of April was a big day for the UK, with the first set of lockdown measures being lifted across the country. This meant that lots of businesses were finally able to reopen – including self-contained holiday accommodation. This was absolutely fantastic news for both travellers and also the people that owned these holiday lets. Since the start of the original UK lockdown in March 2021, it has been an incredibly bumpy ride for owners of holiday homes – being allowed to reopen in the summer of 2020 to a record numbers of holidaymakers, only to be shut down again in the winter months due to coronavirus restrictions being re-tightened.

“Are you crazy” the words said by many people close to me at the talks I had given at me renting my house, leaving a safe secure job and life in England during a global pandemic to go work in Spain, Madrid/ Ibiza, for one year, during Brexit. “No risks no rewards” the phrase I kept telling myself. It was safe to say at the time of moving I needed a change, mentally I had some healing to do and that would only happen away from the place it was caused. Right time, right opportunity, it was time to leave.

2002 now seems like a lifetime ago. Another life when we were all completely different people. This year I feel is more significant in some way, as my sister Caroline lost her life at 19 and we have now had 19 years without her. I asked the question, what have I done with that time? Losing Caroline was by far the worst thing that ever happened in my life and to our family, we still remember her daily and want her to inspire others through Caroline’s Rainbow Foundation. Personally, I feel a responsibility to work hard and make her proud. We push to help other young people better understand the risks and stay safe when travelling.

Jacob Taylor and Sarah Campbell were supposed to get married in the summer of 2020. They were a long distance couple, Jacob lived in England whilst Sarah hailed from Canada, and the wedding was to be in Durham. The pandemic hit, and everything stopped. Sarah and her family could not leave Canada, the wedding was postponed and they waited for restrictions to lift. Many other people found themselves in similar scenarios: spouses and fiancés stuck in different countries and families divided as restrictions changed, sometimes with very little warning.

This week we were joined by Joe, who is currently training to become a commercial pilot. Joe was completing the second year of his training in Dubai when the coronavirus pandemic hit and unfortunately had to return to the UK.

Our story begins with May, a fourth year Marketing Management student at York St John University. In her third year, she flew from the UK to Australia to undertake a work placement in the marketing and PR industry.

This week I boarded a flight, landed in Ibiza and checked in to a hotel with a rooftop pool. Something I did not expect to be doing in 2020. Ibiza is now open to tourists, slowly life returns to something normal. I’ll be honest, positive feelings have been few and far between throughout 2020, but I am trying to fix my focus on something to look forward to.

2015 was the year of change. After years of sunbathing and holidays in the sun, my family decided to try a new type of holiday. A Canadian road trip in an RV. From recommendations of friends who had visited the country, we decided to follow suit and explore British Columbia.

I never really considered myself as a thrill-seeker, but in 2015, that all changed. My family and I decided on an intense celebratory holiday in honor of my Mum’s birthday. A three week Canadian adventure, exploring BC – Vancouver, Whistler, Jasper.

In this blog post, I’ll be recalling my experience in Cuba and touching on some lessons that we learned the hard way so that you hopefully don’t fall into the same mistakes. It was the summer of 2017 and I’d just finished my 2nd summer working at a camp in Upstate New York. After working at camp, the staff tend to split off and spend time travelling with friends with the money earned over the summer.

Based off of the responses we got from our recent survey, we wanted to provide you with some of our best advice for areas of travel a lot of people felt unsure about. This guide will cover going through the airport security process, feeling more comfortable flying, who to contact and where to go in an emergency and travelling from the airport to your accommodation.

Regardless of the crime landscape in your area, we all have to travel. We have to go to work. We have to go buy food. And, as the pandemic has so keenly highlighted for everyone, we need to see our friends and family somewhat regularly or we’re going to lose it a little bit. This is just how we all live our lives. It shouldn’t be up to us to try to be the least attackable person walking home at 6pm on a Thursday when you should be deciding what to have for tea but this is the world we live in. A predator is going to attack what appears to be the easiest target so you need to make it hard for them.

Now, given the virus that shall not be named is still about, and it’s still considered quite unsafe to travel abroad, I think its fair to say we all need something to look forward to. However, a week in the sun is not yet on the cards.

2020 left a lot to be desired when it came to travel. The coronavirus situation put a temporary end to many people’s holiday plans, but there is hope that in 2021 we will be able to get back to doing what we love and exploring the world. The travel industry needs all the help it can get to rebuild, and we hope this guide will provide you with the key safety information required so that you can travel safely when destinations open-up again.

The Cambridge Dictionary defines the term ‘gap year’ as a year between leaving school and starting university that is usually spent travelling or working. Going travelling during this period of time is very popular amongst young people before they start the next chapter of their life.

2020 was a very unexpected and challenging year for us all. The difficulties brought on by the coronavirus pandemic affected all aspects of life, in particular our ability to travel around the world.

Why should I go travelling? I can see the world online from the comfort of my sofa. I would say there is far more to travelling than just seeing new places and looking over beautiful views. Travelling is as much about exploring yourself and finding your way as a person, as it is about seeing new places and visiting iconic destinations.

Living in the mountains for 5 months, skiing or snowboarding every day, sounds absolutely perfect. Winter seasons can also be incredibly addictive, in total I worked 10 winters in the French Alps, mostly in Meribel and around The Three Valleys.

With the continuing impact COVID-19 is having on the travel industry, the idea of a ‘staycation’, or going on a holiday within the UK, is becoming more and more appealing. Whilst it might seem sad that jetting off to a golden beach or a mountain adventure isn’t as simple as it once was, we should use this time to appreciate the natural beauty we have just outside our doorstep.

Will backpacking ever be the same again? I have been an avid traveller over 20 years, spending 10 winter seasons in the French Alps and summers travelling around Europe. In 2003 I embarked on a 2-year backpacking adventure around Australia, New Zealand and Thailand…