How Far Will Vaccines Help the UK Travel Industry?

Even though the pandemic isn’t going to disappear in the new year, in Britain we can finally see a light at the end of the tunnel. The UK government has now approved two vaccines for use, raising hopes for a swift return to normal. 

Even so, travellers in 2021 are likely to factor in a country’s handling of the Covid crisis when choosing places to visit. For the UK travel industry to begin its recovery, it will have to be seen as a safe destination.

The UK has had a few positive newsworthy events that could help with this. Not only was it the first country to approve two vaccines, it was the first to deliver a vaccine to a non-trial patient.

But Coronavirus coverage in the 24 hour news cycle is fluid, and today’s news may be easily forgotten tomorrow. The new more infectious strain of Covid-19 identified in Britain has been widely reported around the world; something which will certainly linger in the minds of travellers.

Computer generated image of coronavirus cells

Additionally, the UK’s general response to Covid hasn’t been widely lauded around the globe. Britain is in the midst of another spike, and the entire country has been thrown into a third national lockdown.

Ultimately, reducing the risk to travellers is the best way to regain their confidence and attract them back.

The most effective way to do this will be to achieve herd immunity through vaccination as fast as possible. According to Professor Calum Semple, member of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies, this will involve vaccinating between 70-80% of the population.

For the travel industry, hope lies in being able to reach this milestone before peak season in the summer.

Vaccine being administered into a patient's arm

The UK’s ambitious vaccination programme is already off to a good start. According to the Health Secretary Matt Hancock, over a million people have already received their first dose since the 8th December.

On top of this, the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine approved last week was rolled out on the 4th December. With the Pfizer vaccine’s own rollout already well underway, hopes are high that the AstraZeneca vaccine will accelerate us towards our goal of herd immunity.

Between the two vaccines, the government has ordered enough doses for everybody in the UK. But this doesn’t mean that we’ll reach herd immunity by the summer.

For starters, only a small portion of what we’ve ordered has been produced so far. With high demand around the world, Pfizer may struggle to fulfill orders and are already finding it difficult to source raw materials.

Bunting celebrating UK's efforts combating Covid-19

Initial rollout of the vaccine was also quite slow. Two weeks after the first jab was administered, only 42% of the UK’s hospital trusts had even received the vaccine.

On top of this, the recent spike in cases as well as staff sickness and self-isolation has put added pressure on NHS resources. Because of this, some experts have expressed doubts that herd immunity would be reached before the summer.

Although this likely won’t be enough to attract tourists back for peak season, it’s still lays a solid foundation for future recovery.