The latest research into our international markets and how COVID-19 is impacting plans to visit Scotland
Explore below feedback from our international marketing teams and insight from the latest social listening.
In this section:
Latest update:
All arrivals to Scotland from outside the Common Travel Area must book and pay for managed isolation in quarantine hotels to help protect against the importation of Coronavirus (COVID-19) from 15 February 2021. All arrivals must quarantine for at least 10 days and will be tested twice for the virus – once on day two and once on day eight after arrival. Read Scottish Government guidance on quarantine hotels.
Market intelligence update: Europe
The latest marketing insights from Europe gathered by our VisitScotland marketing teams.
France is currently on the UK’s amber list. From 8 August, travel restrictions for arrivals from France have changed. EU visitors and returning UK residents travelling from France will no longer need to quarantine if they have been fully vaccinated.
From 9 June, tourist traffic between France and foreign countries reopened under a traffic light system, entry requirements depend on the health situation in the other country and the vaccination status of travellers.
From 3 May, France entered a four-step plan for lifting its third lockdown restrictions. Most non-essential industries have reopened following health and safety procedures, and some COVID-19 restrictions and prevention protocols remain in force in public spaces.
Health and recovery of market
On 16 October, the French government restored the state of health emergency throughout France to give a "clear and solid legal basis" to the measures taken to contain the spread of new infections.
French authorities are closely monitoring levels of new infection rates. All non-essential businesses are currently open, most COVID-19 restrictions are lifted, except for prevention protocols remaining in place in some public spaces indoor or outdoor. Wearing face coverings outdoors is no longer mandatory and capacity restrictions in public establishments have also been lifted in some areas. On 21 July, the French government announced that the COVID digital pass, or ‘health passport’, will be required to access cultural and entertainment venues. From 9 August, the COVID pass was made mandatory to enter bars, restaurants, hospitals, shopping centres and for travelling by trains, on domestic flights, and on long-distance coach journeys. From 30 August, vaccination is compulsory for all people working in contact with high risk population.
France has opened its vaccination programme to all adults and 12–18-year-olds in an attempt to prevent another wave of infections from new COVID-19 variants. A COVID digital pass will also be compulsory for 12-17-year-olds from 30 August.
Quarantine and other travel restrictions
Since 9 June, tourist traffic between France and foreign countries reopened under a traffic light system. Entry requirements depend on the health situation in the other country and the vaccination status of travellers. The UK is currently classed as amber. From 18 July, travellers from the UK who are not fully vaccinated must show a negative PCR or antigen test taken 24 hours prior to enter France. Fully vaccinated travellers are exempt from quarantine requirements and no longer have to present a test in order to enter France regardless of their country of origin.
Since 17 May, the UK has been operating a traffic light system. Quarantine rules and requirements for entering Scotland depend on whether the country or area a traveller comes from, or has been in the 10 days prior to arrival, is on the red, amber or green lists. Find the full list of green, red and amber countries on the Scottish government website.
France is classed as amber. From 2 August, changes have been implemented to arrival from amber-list countries. Fully vaccinated EU visitors and returning UK residents no longer need to self-isolate or take a day 8 test on arrival to Scotland.
From 8 August, travel restrictions still imposed on arrivals from France have been lifted for fully vaccinated travellers and returning UK residents. Travellers are required to show record of vaccination and a negative test result prior to departure as well as taking a PCR test on or before day two after arrival in Scotland. EU visitors and returning UK residents from France not fully vaccinated, or who have travelled through an amber-list country not exempt from quarantine requirements or a red-list country in the 10 days prior to arrival in the UK, are required to complete a passenger locator form, take a COVID-19 test before travel, then book and pay for two COVID-19 travel tests via a designated booking portal. Upon arrival in the UK, they are required to self-isolate for 10 days and take two COVID-19 PCR tests (on days 2 and 8).
Aviation
Please note that airline and ferry schedules remain subject to change and amendments. For an overview of European airline carriers with direct routes into Scotland and ferry operators with crossings between France and South England, please refer to our overseas travel pages. We advise visitors to check latest connectivity, fares and safety measures directly with the transport providers.
Intermediary insights and horizon scanning
Enquiries from French tour operators are largely focusing around when travel restrictions and quarantine requirement are likely to be lifted as well as Scotland’s industry re-opening and health and safety measures. 2021 autumn/winter programmes might resume if quarantine and travel restrictions are lifted, flight routes have been reinstated and both France’s and UK’s lockdown restrictions have fully eased.
Flexible terms and conditions, clear health and safety measures in place and reassurance message will be key for market recovery and French visitors’ return to Scotland. Shorter booking windows and last-minute bookings are to be expected with FIT visitors keen to travel as soon as it is possible to do so.
Current product/travel trends in market are responsible tourism products, slow travel, nature-based and agritourism activities, hidden gems and off the beaten track destinations.
According to an Interface Tourism France survey, 85% of travel operators estimate that Europe will cast more interest for French holidaymakers in 2021. Travel professionals do not expect recovery before summer 2021 for FIT, 2022 for the group sector and 2023 for the youth travel sector.
For more insights into the French market see our visitors from France page.
Since 15 June, Germany’s borders to neighbouring countries are open and there are no more COVID-19-related controls of air traffic within the EU. The German government has restricted air and sea travel to Germany at its external Schengen borders.
Since 7 July, the UK is classed as a high-incidence area. There is no longer a ban on transportation and travel from the UK to Germany is possible for fully vaccinated travellers using all means of transport, without the need to quarantine. Everyone who is not fully vaccinated arriving from the UK needs a compelling reason for travel or has to be a German citizen or resident and has to self-isolate for 10 days. This period can be shortened with a negative test result from day five.
There is still a conditional travel warning in place for travel from Germany to the UK.
Germany is currently on the UK’s green list.
Health and recovery of market
German authorities are closely monitoring the country’s R- and incidence rates. Infection numbers have gone down significantly since spring, but the R-rate has been above 1 since the beginning of July. There are still restrictions on household gatherings and maximum group sizes in place. Since early March, the government has been continuing to ease restrictions, with domestic travel largely allowed again, curfews eased or lifted and more and more social spaces and activities re-opening. These steps can be revoked where the infection rate is rising above 100 cases per 100k population over 7 days. Maximum group sizes and curfews no longer apply to fully vaccinated or recovered persons. In order to take part in public life, to enter restaurants, hospitals, indoor sporting facilities or to visit events, a COVID-19 certificate is necessary, proving the vaccination or recovered status. In some federal states, a recent negative test result is also accepted for the same privileges.
Since 1 July, the CovPass app is active and makes travel between EU countries easier, showing proof of vaccination or recovery from COVID-19 as well as negative test results and recovered status.
The German vaccination programme is well underway and has been made available to all adults, as well as teenagers between 12 and 17 years old.
Quarantine and other travel restrictions
Since 17 May, the UK is operating a traffic light system. Quarantine rules and requirements for entering Scotland depend on whether the country or area a traveller comes from, or has been in the 10 days prior to arrival, is on the red, amber or green lists. Find the full list of green, red and amber countries on the Scottish Government website.
Since 8 August, Germany and Austria, and since 30 August, Switzerland and the Principality of Liechtenstein are classed as “green” countries.
Travellers have to complete a passenger locator form and take a COVID-19 test, as well as book and pay for a PCR-test to be completed within two days of arriving in Scotland. There is no obligation to quarantine and this does not depend on vaccination status.
Germany uses a two-tier system of risk categories (virus variant areas and high-incidence areas), with distinct rules on entry and quarantine for each tier.
Since 7 July, the UK is classed as a high incidence area. There is no longer a ban on transportation and travel from the UK to Germany is possible for fully vaccinated travellers using all means of transport, without the need to quarantine. Everyone who is not fully vaccinated arriving from the UK needs a compelling reason for travel or has to be a German citizen or resident and must self-isolate for 10 days at arrival. This period can be shortened with a negative test result from day five.
There is still a conditional travel warning in place for travel from Germany to the UK.
The federal states can act independently to decide on openings and domestic movement, where the incidence is under 100 cases per 100k population per week over five days. The rules vary from region to region.
Aviation
Please note that airline schedules remain subject to change and amendments. For an overview of European airline carriers with direct routes into Scotland, please refer to our overseas travel pages. We advise visitors to check latest connectivity, air fares and latest safety measures directly with the airlines.
Ferry operations are still ongoing, giving German visitors the option of travelling to Scotland via seaports in the Netherlands and North England with DFDS Seaways or P&O Ferries, albeit having to enter quarantine upon arrival in the UK.
Intermediary insights and horizon scanning
Enquiries from German tour operators are largely focusing on Scotland’s industry re-opening and health and safety measures, as well as when quarantine measures are likely to be lifted.
Many trips have been re-booked from 2020 and operators, as well as their clients, are keen to see these go ahead. Some 2021 late summer/autumn programmes are resuming with quarantine restrictions having been lifted and flight routes reinstated, but due to the strict entry restrictions of the UK compared to other countries as well as the uncertainty about testing / the potential risk of the country changing status, some travel is being re-booked to competitor destinations.
Flexible terms and conditions, clear health and safety measures in place and a strong reassurance message will be key for market recovery.
There is, however, a strong pent-up demand for holidays, confirmed by the high booking volumes for beach holidays in May and June. Apart from beach holidays, there is a trend of Germans looking for responsible and immersive travel, which fits in well with what Scotland has to offer and suggests potential for the coming seasons. There is also a suggestion that after a need for relaxation this year, the desire for adventure and exploring will come back in 2022, and operators expect Scotland to be very popular.
With the fall in incidence numbers and more and more people being vaccinated, confidence in the country is rising and bookings for domestic and international travel are going up month by month.
For more insights into the German market see our visitors from Germany page.
At present, Iceland, Faroe Islands, Norway, Denmark and Finland are on the UK’s green list and all other Northern European countries are classed as amber. People travelling to Scotland from a green list country must complete a passenger locator form and take a COVID-19 test within two days of arriving in Scotland.
From 2 August, people traveling from amber countries in North Europe to the UK no longer have to self-isolate on arrival if they have been fully vaccinated by an approved source. They will need to show the record of vaccination during their journey and are required to produce a negative test result prior to departure as well as a negative PCR test result on or before day two after arrival in Scotland. For travels to Scotland, this test needs to be booked by the authorised CTM portal. All travellers from amber countries will also need to fill in a passenger locator form for entry to the UK and include information on vaccination status. If they are not fully vaccinated, or have travelled through France or a red-list country in the 10 days prior to arrival in the UK, they must still self-isolate on arrival for 10 days, and take two PCR tests (on or before day 2 and day 8).
Since 5 July, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has allowed Norwegians to travel to the Schengen area/EEA, Switzerland, and a selection of non-EU countries for non-essential reasons, however, the UK is classed as dark red and therefore high risk. Norway has recently lifted the requirement for double vaccinated Norwegian residents to quarantine on return from the UK as long as they test negative but Norwegians are still recommended to take their holidays in Norway. The Norwegian authorities have decided to postpone the fourth and final step of reopening meaning there are still distancing requirements, limits on gatherings and advice to undertake meetings and activities outdoors where possible.
In Sweden, there is an entry ban in place for non-essential travel from most countries outside the EU/EEA, including the UK, however, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs does not currently have any travel advice in place for Swedes travelling to the UK so leisure visits are possible. The Public Health Agency of Sweden recommends that those who have travelled outside the Nordic region take a PCR test when returning to Sweden. This applies even if you do not have any symptoms. Exceptions are made for people who have been fully vaccinated for two weeks or are under six years old. People who have been diagnosed with COVID-19 in the last six months are also exempt. Quarantine upon arrival remains recommended for everyone entering the country except for Swedish citizens, fully vaccinated travellers and those who arrived from EU/EEA, UK or Switzerland.
Denmark recently started welcoming back fully vaccinated visitors from EU, Schengen and OECD countries. While in most cases there is no mandatory quarantine upon arrival or return to Denmark, exceptions apply and should be carefully checked prior to travelling. Denmark is updating their red/yellow/orange/green list countries on a weekly basis and there are currently a large number of destinations available to visit for Danish travellers. Scotland is on the red list which means there are both testing and isolation requirements for people who return to Denmark from Scotland.
From Wednesday 22 September, the Netherlands will drop the mandatory (self) quarantine for travellers from the UK as well as the guidance that “only necessary travel” between the Netherlands and the UK is permitted. Dutch residents seeking to travel have a small number of EU destinations currently on their green or yellow list.
Health and recovery of market
Authorities in the Benelux and Nordic countries are closely monitoring levels of new infection rates. All North European countries are managing their lockdown separately and are easing restrictions at different paces. Benelux and Nordic countries are continuing to ease restrictions, with domestic and some international travel allowed again, curfews eased or lifted and more and more social spaces and activities re-opening.
On 26 June, the Netherlands entered step 4 of their reopening plan and most measures were lifted. Physical distancing, face masks and other hygiene measures remain. People travelling abroad from the Netherlands in July and August can get tested for free. These free tests are intended for people who are not yet fully vaccinated and are required to show a negative test result before travelling abroad. The date for the final phase of reopening is yet to be determined. On 9 July The Netherlands re-imposed restrictions on nightclubs, restaurants, and music festivals just weeks after they were lifted, in an effort to halt a sudden surge in COVID-19 infections, mostly among young adults. All restaurants and bars must be closed from midnight until 6am and when open 1.5 metre distancing rule and assigned seating applies. Entertainment in the form of live performances and loud music is prohibited and discos and night clubs must close again. On 13 August the government has decided to take a careful, step-by-step approach to lifting the 1.5 metre rule and as of 25 September, Dutch people will no longer have to stay 1.5 metres from others. The coronavirus entry pass system is being introduced for locations that will get busier when the 1.5 metre distancing rule is lifted. The coronavirus entry pass system will apply to bars and restaurants (but not takeaways), events (such as festivals, concerts and professional sports matches) and cultural venues (such as cinemas and theatres). Dutch people can get the coronavirus entry pass if they are fully vaccinated, have valid proof of recovery or a negative result from a coronavirus test taken less than 24 hours before entry.
Belgium removed COVID-19 restrictions in restaurants and cafes, allowing them to operate under their usual hours as part of the government's reopening plan. The measures, which took effect on 1 September, do not apply to Brussels, home to the European Commission, the European Parliament and NATO, because of the low vaccination rate in some parts of the city. Belgium's federal government announced it will lift the requirement to wear a mask in shops, restaurants and cafes from 1 October and allow nightclubs to reopen. However, the relaxed rules on masks are likely to only apply in Flanders, as both Brussels and Wallonia have indicated that they will maintain the existing measures.
Sweden’s temporary pandemic law applies until September 2021 and they retain some measures despite a phased reopening over the summer. There are still restrictions on the size of gatherings distancing and wearing face masks, for example. The Public Health Agency of Sweden’s overall assessment is that it is possible to implement stage 4 of the government’s plan for removing restrictions on 29 September 2021. This means that many of the restrictions put in place to reduce the spread of COVID-19 can be removed and it is proposed that limits on group sizes will be lifted. The restrictions in the restaurant sector with respect to group size will also be eased.
Denmark lifted all remaining coronavirus restrictions on Friday 10September, making it the first EU country to go completely back to pre-pandemic daily life. The country's 'COVID pass' is no longer required to enter restaurants, sports centres or nightclubs, and children are no longer automatically sent home if they come into close contact with a confirmed COVID-19 case. Only those infected have to quarantine. People can go back to the office as normal, and schools are open.
Norway continues to apply national measures to contain the spread of COVID-19. These measures affect private and public gatherings, events, sports and leisure activities, hospitality and education.
Quarantine and other travel restrictions
Since 17 May, the UK is operating a traffic light system. Quarantine rules and requirements for entering Scotland depend on whether the country or area a traveller comes from, or has been in the 10 days prior to arrival, is on the red, amber or green lists. Find the full list of green, red and amber countries on the Scottish government website.
North European countries are all classed as amber, except for Norway, Iceland, Faroe Islands, Denmark and Finland which are classed as green.
From 2 August, travellers from amber countries in North Europe (Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg & Nordics) to the UK no longer have to self-isolate on arrival if they have been fully vaccinated by an approved source. They will need to show the record of your vaccination during their journey and are required to produce a negative test result prior to departure as well as a negative PCR test result on or before day two after arrival in Scotland. For travels to Scotland, this test needs to be booked by the authorised CTM portal. All travellers from amber countries will also need to fill in a passenger locator form for entry to the UK and include information on vaccination status. If they are not fully vaccinated, or have travelled through France or a red-list country in the 10 days prior to arrival in the UK, they must still self-isolate on arrival for 10 days, and take two PCR tests (on or before day 2 and day 8).
Aviation
Please note that airline schedules remain subject to change and amendments. For an overview of European airline carriers with direct routes into Scotland, please refer to our overseas travel pages. We advise visitors to check latest connectivity, air fares and latest safety measures directly with the airlines.
Ferry operations are still ongoing, giving visitors from the Benelux countries the option of travelling to Scotland via seaports in the Netherlands and North England with DFDS Seaways or P&O Ferries.
Intermediary insights and horizon scanning
Enquiries from North European tour operators are largely focusing on Scotland’s industry re-opening and health and safety measures. Despite the lifting of self-isolation requirements for Northern European visitors arriving in the UK, tour operators are reporting that the prevalence of the virus in Scotland is leading to low travel confidence and that the testing requirements and associated costs remain as a barrier to travel to the UK for most.
Some Dutch tour operators are reporting that 70% of their client base already has holiday plans for next year. A trend that can be seen for North Europe is that people are currently less inclined to fly, instead travelling with their own cars is becoming more and more popular. Also, off-season travel is on many tour operators’ radar as it may be more affordable and places of interest will not be as crowded.
Trade contacts across Scandinavia are reaching out for information and inspiration, but travel confidence among their customers remains mixed due to ongoing travel restrictions and the prevalence of the virus in the UK.
For more insights on the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden, see our country specific pages:
With the last review of the ‘traffic light’ system, all South European countries remain classed as amber, except from Madeira and the Azores (Portugal), which are classed as green.
From 2 August, travellers from amber countries in South Europe (Spain, Italy, Portugal and Greece) arriving in the UK no longer have to self-isolate on arrival if they have been fully vaccinated by an approved source. They will need to show a record of vaccination during their journey and are required to produce a negative test result taken prior to departure as well as a negative PCR test result on or before day two after arrival in Scotland. For travels to Scotland, this test needs to be booked by the authorised CTM portal or with a private provider. All travellers from amber countries will also need to fill in a passenger locator form for entry to the UK and include information on vaccination status. If they are not fully vaccinated, or have travelled through a red-list country in the 10 days prior to arrival in the UK, they must still self-isolate on arrival for 10 days, and take two PCR tests (on or before day 2 and day 8).
From 29 June, Spain requires UK visitors travelling to the country to fill a passenger locator form, present a negative COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours prior to travel or a full vaccination certificate. In addition, tourist accommodation providers in some regions (like Canary Islands) may require visitors to present evidence of a negative test, of being fully vaccinated or of having had and recovered from COVID-19 in the last 6 months.
From 31 August, Italian travellers who have been in the UK in the previous 14 days need to compile an online passenger locator form and present a negative antigenic or molecular swab test taken within 48 before travelling, but they no longer have to self-isolate on return to Italy. Children under the age of 6 do not need to test. Travellers arriving without a negative test will need to self-isolate for 10 days and undertake a test at the end of the isolation period.
All travellers from the UK to mainland Portugal (aged 12 or older) are required to compile a passenger locator form, show a negative COVID-19 test (RT-PRC taken within 72 hours of departure or lateral flow test taken 48 hours prior to departure) and must quarantine for 14 days. Quarantine is not required for children under 12, visitors who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 at list 14 days prior to arrival or visitors travelling to Madeira or Azores.
Since 14 May, all UK travellers to Greece are also required to fill a passenger locator form and present proof of a negative PCR test undertaken within than 72 hours before arrival or either proof of a negative antigen (rapid) test taken no longer than 48 hours before arrival. Alternatively, if they can present a vaccination certificate (stating they have been fully vaccinated and 14 days have elapsed since the last vaccination) or proof of recovery from COVID-19 (evidence of a positive COVID-19 PCR test result taken between 30 to 180 days before travelling is also accepted), they do not need to present proof of a negative test.
Health and recovery of market
Authorities in Spain, Italy, Portugal and Greece are closely monitoring levels of new infection rates. All South European countries are managing their lockdown separately, even region by region within each country, imposing local or regional restrictions when deemed necessary.
South European countries are continuing to ease restrictions, with domestic travel largely allowed again, curfews eased or lifted and more and more social spaces and activities re-opening.
The Spanish government removed the obligation to wear face masks in outdoor spaces on a national level. COVID-19 cases continue rising, largely affecting young unvaccinated people, and regional governments are trying to implement highly restrictive measures to contain the virus spread, which are often rejected by the courts for limiting citizens freedom, especially curfews.
Italy is still in state of emergency until 31 December as the government considers the pandemic is not yet under control. All Italian regions but Sicily are classed as ‘white zones’, meaning they are in the lowest category of restrictions involving only physical distancing and wearing a face mask in public places. The Italian government is no longer focusing only on the infection rate to classify each region by colour but also in the number of hospitalised citizens due to COVID-19, which is currently high in Sicily.
Italy, Greece and Portugal require a Covid certificate proving the vaccination or recovered status for all public indoor venues such as museums, restaurants, clubs, gyms, casinos, private parties and holiday accommodation, the latter only in Portugal.
Quarantine and other travel restrictions
Since 17 May, the UK is operating a traffic light system. Quarantine rules and requirements for entering Scotland depend on whether the country or area a traveller comes from, or has been in the 10 days prior to arrival, is on the red, amber or green lists. Find the full list of green, red and amber countries on the Scottish government website.
South European countries are classed as “amber” with the exemption of Madeira & the Azores (Portugal), which are classed as 'green'.
From 2 August, travellers from amber countries in South Europe (Spain, Italy, Portugal and Greece) arriving in the UK no longer have to self-isolate on arrival if they have been fully vaccinated by an approved source. Previous infection and a single dose of a two-dose programme is not recognised in Scotland as fully vaccinated. They will need to show a record of vaccination during their journey and are required to produce a negative test result taken prior to departure as well as a negative PCR test result on or before day two after arrival in Scotland. For travels to Scotland, this test needs to be booked by the authorised CTM portal or with a private provider. All travellers from amber countries will also need to fill in a passenger locator form for entry to the UK and include information on vaccination status. If they are not fully vaccinated, or have travelled through a red-list country in the 10 days prior to arrival in the UK, they must still self-isolate on arrival for 10 days, and take two PCR tests (on or before day 2 and day 8).
Aviation
Please note that airline schedules remain subject to change and amendments. For an overview of European airline carriers with direct routes into Scotland, please refer to our overseas travel pages. We advise visitors to check latest connectivity, air fares and latest safety measures directly with the airlines.
Intermediary insights and horizon scanning
Current travel restrictions, lack of flight connections and cancellations, raising infection rates and expensive COVID-19 tests are still discouraging both tour operators and visitors to go ahead with the holidays they already planned in Scotland for September and to book any other Scotland holidays for the rest of the year.
COVID-19 tests price reduction and increase on provider options is not enough to encourage trips to Scotland and they currently prefer to travel to other EU destinations, where tests before and upon arrival are not required.
Italian tour operators have their views set on 2022 and they will shortly start planning new tours for their catalogues. For this year, they are hopeful they will be able to send some clients to Scotland on the two long bank holiday weekends scheduled in November and December. Although the passport cost, which will be mandatory from October, might make UK an unaffordable destination for many Italian families.
For more insights on Spain and Italy see our country specific pages:
Market intelligence update: Australia, Canada, China, USA, GCC and India
The latest marketing insights from Australia, Canada, China, the USA, GCC and India gathered from our VisitScotland marketing teams.
Although relatively low in comparison to many other countries, COVID-19 case numbers have increased across Australia, with the Delta variant causing concern. Restrictions have been imposed in most states with several cities locked down and some state border closures. Despite being locked down since 26 June, numbers are highest in Sydney where around 200 cases are being reported a day.
International travel is not currently possible. The Trans-Tasman bubble, which allowed travel between Australia and New Zealand, has been suspended.
Other than repatriation operations, international flights with Australian flag carrier, Qantas, have been suspended. Qantas’ repatriation fights have brought 26,000 Australians home, but there are still over 38,000 people trying to return. The airline has just announced that they will furlough 2,500 staff for at least two months as the lockdowns impact domestic air travel.
The vaccine roll-out started in February 2021, with over 22% of over 16s now fully vaccinated. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said that snap lockdowns will be less likely once 70% of the adult population has been vaccinated. This is expected by the end of the year. When 80% vaccination rate is achieved, increased travel to and from the country will be allowed but it is difficult to predict when Australia will fully open to all travel.
With continued uncertainty surrounding international travel, travel trade in Australia are working to support the rise in domestic tourism. Tour operators and travel agents are reporting success and confidence with internal cross-state travel and suggest this interest and demand for travel will continue to international short and long-haul markets, when restrictions are lifted. Trade continue to explore development opportunities for 2022, 2023 and beyond.
For more insights into the Australian market see our visitors from Australia page.
Canada has recently announced that fully vaccinated foreign nationals may be allowed to enter Canada for discretionary travel on the following dates if they meet specific criteria:
Effective 9 August: American citizens and permanent residents of the United States, who currently reside in the United States, who meet specific criteria to qualify as fully vaccinated.
7 September (intended start date): all other foreign nationals who qualify as fully vaccinated.
Health and recovery of market
Canada has seen an increase in the national daily case counts since 30 July and an increase week on week and associated with the Delta variant of concern. It is reported that most cases and hospitalisations are occurring among unvaccinated people.
While Canadians can travel internationally, they are advised to continue to avoid non-essential travel outside of Canada.
Quarantine and other travel restrictions
As of 4am on Monday 30 August, Canada was moved to Scotland's green list (also England, Wales & Northern Ireland) of countries making travel to Scotland possible without isolation. Before travelling from Canada, visitors must complete a passenger locator form, take a COVID-19 test before you travel to Scotland and book and pay £68 for a COVID-19 PCR Test that should be taken within two days of arriving in Scotland. Details can be found at this web portal.
Aviation
The Canadian aviation industry has started to pick up, with increased flights both domestically and internationally. Currently there are no direct flights to Scotland operating however airlines are showing availability for winter 2021 and summer 2022. This is currently being monitored as wider recovery takes place.
Intermediary insights and horizon scanning
The Canadian travel trade are ready to send visitors to Scotland, however, with current border restrictions in place within Canada and the UK, this is not possible.
For more insights into the Canadian market see our visitors from Canada page.
China is currently on the amber travel list and travellers are required to quarantine on arrival into the UK (at home or in the place they are staying), take day 2 and day 8 tests after they arrive.
A recent COVID outbreak appears to have peaked and be declining with zero new cases reported on 23 August.
As of August 22, 2021, 1.83 billion doses of the vaccine have been administered with 223 million fully vaccinated. To date vaccine rollout has prioritised large urban populations and people of working age, which means vaccination in our key visitor geographies is well underway, however, as of 3 August the government announced they would begin also vaccinating children aged 3-17 beginning with children and young people ages 12-17. The Ministry of Education has urged local authorities to promote student vaccinations – vaccinations must be offered to all eligible students under the age of 18.
The government has a target of having between 80 and 85% of the population to fully vaccinated by the end of the year.
Discussion has arisen in the media and amongst virologists in China of whether a booster jab may be required to increase protection in the autumn ahead of opening up international travel.
While China focusses on achieving herd immunity through vaccination, it is likely that international travel to and from China will resume significantly only after both the Winter Olympics (February 2022) and the “Lianghui” or Two Sessions (China’s annual parliamentary meetings in late spring 2022) have passed.
Health and recovery of market
The Chinese version of the international travel health certificate has been officially launched on the WeChat mini program, available for Chinese and foreign citizens living in China.
The certificate contains an encrypted QR code for the relevant departments of various countries to verify its authenticity and read personal information. It can also be printed to generate a paper version.
Quarantine and other travel restrictions
In the last few weeks, new cases of the Delta variant in several cities in China have led to domestic travel restrictions and further route suspensions and leading to a setback in domestic aviation recovery. Internationally, travel restrictions in China are some of the strictest in the world and while visa centres are open and processing leisure visa applications, the sale of leisure package holidays (anything that includes flight plus hotel) remain suspended.
Airlines do continue to fly limited international routes and report that they are at maximum capacity, with students making up most international travellers from China.
The Civil Aviation Administration China retains its policy that if all inbound passengers on an airline test negative for COVID-19 for three weeks in a row, the operating airline will be allowed to increase its number of flights to two per week from the mandated one.
If the number of passengers testing positive reaches five, the airline's flights will be suspended for a week. The suspension will last for four weeks if the number of passengers who test positive for COVID-19 is between 5 and 10. After any length of suspension, an airline returns to the mandated one flight per week.
Intermediary insights and horizon scanning
Chinese people made 2.36 billion domestic trips in the first half of 2021, up by 153% from the same period in 2020. Domestic tourism revenue stood at $301 billion USD during this period, up by 208% year-on-year, according to the latest report by the China Tourism Academy (CTA). Fast recovery has been welcomed by the tourist industry, helping to ensure their survival until international travel restarts.
According to the China Luxury Forecast 2021, released by Ruder Finn, a leading integrated communications consultancy, nearly 41% of respondents said they would increase their spending on luxury goods over the next 12 months. Consumer confidence has returned to pre-COVID-19 levels in the luxury industry on the Chinese mainland, with digital channels and Generation Z (those ages 21 to 25) consumers being the main driving forces.
Ctrip’s recently release Big Data Report into Summer Holiday Travel, shows that bookings of both group and FIT tour products (1 July to 31 August) on Ctrip has been increased 10-fold from the same period last year. Private group tours saw a year-on-year increase of 169% and tailormade tours increased seven-fold from the same period in 2020.
The top five travel themes for summer 2021 are: Nature & Wildness, Off-Road Self-drive, Hiking, Glamping, History & Culture. Bookings of Nature & Wildness products enjoyed an increase of 400% year-on-year. And most of them were booked by post-1980s family travellers and females traveling with their friends.
These sharp increases in domestic travel may indicate growing consumer confidence in travel and a return to near ‘normal’ travel patterns and holiday periods.
For more insights into the Chinese market see our visitors from China page or view our China toolkit.
COVID-19 case numbers remain high across most states across the USA and this includes our key visitor DMA’s of California, New York, Texas, Florida and Illinois which have all seen case increases in the past week (data accurate 5 August 2021). Community transmission remains high due to the Delta variant. Currently 70% of US population have received their first dose of the vaccine with 165m or 51% fully vaccinated.
Quarantine and other travel restrictions
From 4am on Monday 2 August, fully-vaccinated passengers arriving from the USA do not have to quarantine or take a day 8 test upon arrival in Scotland. Arrivals will have to carry with them a form of certification to provide details of their vaccine status. For US arrivals, this proof is a CDC card showing you are fully vaccinated, along with proof of residence in the US.
You must also:
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declare that you have been fully vaccinated on your passenger locator form
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book and pay £88 for a COVID-19 test – you should take this test within 2 days of arriving in Scotland and must book your testing kit using the CTM Booking Portal
For further information read the Scottish Government's international travel and quarantine page.
On 19 July, The U.S. State Department and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) both issued on Monday their highest warnings against travel to the United Kingdom because of a rising number of COVID-19 cases.
Aviation
There are various US air routes in operation connecting key hubs in the US with London Heathrow. Direct air routes between Scotland and the US are expected to resume early 2022. Please note that airline schedules are subject to change and amendments so please check directly with the airline for the latest guidance.
Intermediary insights and horizon scanning
Continued interest from US travel trade who are reporting an expected surge in demand once markets are fully opened. Product development continues for many US operators looking at opportunities for 2022, 2023 and beyond.
For more insights into the US market see our visitors from the US page.
UAE is leading the way in vaccinations, with over 70% vaccinated. Booster shots are now available for those who received their second vaccine six months ago. COVID-19 infections have dropped slightly since the end of June, with roughly 1,500 daily cases.
International travel is possible from the UAE, with many countries accepting UAE visitors with negative COVID-19 tests. From 8 August, UAE, Qatar and Saudi Arabia are on Scotland’s amber list of countries.
Qatar Airways have continued their Doha - Edinburgh service throughout the pandemic, currently offering two direct flights a week. Emirates have announced that they are re-starting their Dubai – Glasgow service on 11 August, after it was suspended in January. Initially this will be four flights per week, increasing to daily from September.
Travel trade in the GCC are re-focussing their sales programs for 2021, to meet pent-up travel demands, by highlighting neighbouring short-haul holiday destinations with lesser COVID quarantine requirements to their clients. The travel trade report receiving many enquiries for leisure travel to the UK from Q1 of 2022 onwards and suggest consumer confidence for returning to market will rebound quickly in line with the changes to the government traffic light system. Conversations with key players in market suggests that understanding destination restrictions and health and safety measures in place is key for travellers in this market.
After a deadly second wave in India, where over 400,000 daily case numbers were reported at the peak in May 2021, numbers have dropped down to around 10% of this. Lockdowns are easing but there are still restrictions across the country.
Vaccines started on 16 January and those aged 18 and over are being encouraged to get vaccinated. India has administered over 470 million vaccines, with 26% of the population having received one dose and only around 8% of the population fully vaccinated so far.
Travel trade in India have reported great success with domestic tourism in recent months and have been focussing sales efforts to support this demand. Demand for international travel is still very high too, with travel trade reporting many outbound leisure trips being made to European destinations who have recently opened their borders with lesser COVID restrictions for travellers from India, such as Spain and France.
From 8 August, India is on Scotland’s amber list of countries. We expect to see a lot of demand for visits to the UK, especially from those who can quarantine with family on arrival.
For more insights into the India market see our visitors from India page
International COVID-19 sentiment research
In partnership with VisitBritain, Visit Wales, and London & Partners, research was commissioned to understand international consumer sentiment towards international travel during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The second phase of the International Consumer Sentiment Research has now been completed (fieldwork 24 March - 5 April 2021) covering 20 markets. This includes 14 from the first phase: Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sweden and the USA, and then 6 new markets: Brazil, Denmark, Japan, Russia, South Korea, Sweden and the UAE.
- desire to travel internationally remains very high and has increased in most markets surveyed in both December and March/April
- Travel plans are getting more concrete, but bookings are still low and destination choice very open in consumers’ minds
- high expectations focus on summer 2021, either for planning holidays abroad and/or reconnecting with friends and relatives as soon as possible – however, a third of planners envisage 2022 and beyond as the horizon, or just do not know yet when they would go
- vaccination is confirmed to play a critical role in triggering short term travel intention and booking
- age continues to be a driver for travel sentiment as younger travellers show the strongest intentions to take a trip abroad this year (especially those interested in England/London). Those willing to consider Scotland as a destination are from a wider spread of age groups
- While vaccination (in markets as well as destination) increases positive travel sentiment, other obstacles for travel remain very influential in the decision making process – COVID cases at destination, quarantine policies, refund/cancellation flexibility and the political environment
- Europe maintains and often amplifies its status of favourite continent to visit in most markets.
- fuelled by a large improvement of its COVID sanitary image, Britain has gained in popularity and competitiveness, recording the second largest increase in Europe in visit intentions after Spain
- the gain of popularity for Britain is very high in long-haul markets in particular (China, India) but also in Germany and Ireland, while France is more “at risk” with low travel intentions to Britain
- in short haul markets, England is the nation at the top of the list for a potential visit to Britain, but Scotland is also well considered, particularly among Spanish, Italians and to a slighter lesser extent the Germans
- from long-haul prospects, a possible trip to Britain would be England first but not exclusively, showing an open attitude to visit multiple destinations across Britain. China, the US and Canada are the markets most likely to potentially consider Scotland
- attitudes towards a more responsible and sustainable travel are clearly expressed. However, it remains to be seen how far these will be converted into effective responsible and sustainable behaviours at destinations
Visit the Visit Britain website for a summary of the research and to download the full report.