Staying indoors is a lot harder than we may have first thought – especially with the glorious Easter bank holiday weather. Temperatures will reach 26C in places today, but many people without gardens or balconies will only get to enjoy the sunshine when they go out for their one form of daily exercise, according to the Government’s lockdown rules. For those stuck indoors in this glorious weather, you may be thinking about where to go on your holidays this year – assuming the outbreak has finished.

Sadly many summer holidays have already been cancelled for 2020.

Trips abroad will have to wait until the crisis is over, and no one knows just how long that could take.

You may have a holiday booked this July or August, and only time will tell if you’ll still be able to jet off for some summer sunshine.

For those with bookings a little earlier in the year, it’s touch and go as to whether you’ll be able some downtime.

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When can we go on holiday again?

On March 17, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) announced it was advising against all non-essential travel for at least 30 days.

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Now, the Foreign Office is warning Britons not to travel abroad indefinitely.

But while it might feel counterintuitive to be browsing holiday websites on lockdown, for some it can be a way to pass the time.

Looking up holiday ideas can also help people feel the end is in sight – even though nobody knows when this could all be over.

However, if restrictions begin to ease in line with Wuhan, China, we could see passenger flights begin to be operational again in three months.

Aito, the Association of Independent Tour Operators, said it anticipates UK travel to return in time for the summer.

A source said: “If luck is on our side, then three months hence should see things calm down on the virus front.

“It’s likely that the first travellers within the UK will venture out again to explore their own country at the traditional start of the summer season.”

While most experts are predicting early Autumn departures, meaning September to October could be a great time to think about going away.

Mark Hall, Director of Product at leading tour operator TUI UK, says customers could be jetting off by the early Autumn.

Florida and the Canaries are popular destinations for Brits, and Mr Hall says the Caribbean may be another tourist hotspot this year as Brits seek some winter sun.

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He added: “We know people will want to travel again and, whilst it’s difficult to predict, we do think that Autumn and Winter getaways could prove more popular than ever as people still want their yearly holiday.

“We may see more late bookings as people cautiously search for the best deals.

“We know people still dream of travel and we expect people will begin to find inspiration for their future holidays and think about their travel plans for 2021 very soon.”

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CEO of easyJet Holidays, Garry Wil-son, told Cosmopolitan UK: “We’re monitoring all the relevant advice all the time and as soon as it changes, we’ll be ready to start taking off.

“At the moment we’re seeing lots of people booking and amending for later on this year, into September and October.”

Not everyone is so optimistic, however. Flight comparison website Skyscanner says a quarter of travellers do not think travel will resume around the world for at least six months (based on a survey of more than 5,000 travellers).

In the UK, however, only 15 per cent think that while 85 per cent say we will be travelling again by October.

However, there’s no guarantee the situation will have been resolved by then – so it may be prudent to wait for further developments in the coronavirus crisis.

Remember: If you decide to book a flight or a holiday for later on in 2020, don’t forget to include travel insurance.

What happens if you’ve already booked a holiday?

ABTA said in a statement: “At this time the Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) currently advises against all non-essential overseas travel for British nationals.

“However this travel restriction can be removed at any time, so travel companies are doing their best to manage arrangements for customers.

“Each company will have their own process for managing future departures and will be contacting customers due to travel imminently.

“There is no legal definition of ‘imminent travel’, however it is generally considered to be within the next few days.

“Our advice to customers with future bookings is to be patient and wait to be contacted by your travel provider.

“Travel companies are extremely busy, given the pressures of the current crisis, and will be looking at imminent departures first and deciding how far in advance they will offer alternative arrangements or refunds.”

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