“There’s been this informal back channel of people saying, alright, this has come on the list, where can we go?” says Hall. “That excitement is still there, albeit tempered by the additional logistical complications around travel. I’ve just been to Denmark and Germany, and spent quite a lot of time getting ready to come back. The need for tests, passenger locator forms, and checking the requirements, does give people some pause to think.”

In other words, travel may need to be a little more planned, a little less spontaneous, throughout the months ahead. On top of that, nobody can rule out a situation in which some new variant emerges, lockdowns are reintroduced, and holidays are once again declared illegal.

In the meantime, though, it is unlikely that people who really want to go abroad will be dissuaded. On 4 October, the UK scrapped its traffic light system with a view to making travel easier. Countries are now either consigned to the red list (travel discouraged) or the ‘rest of the world’ (no quarantines required). The testing requirements may end up being simplified as well.

“We do need to get through to Christmas without seeing any incidents of rules being changed at the last minute – that’s the absolute worst thing we’re seeing for bookings,” says Hall. “But it looks to me like there is a greater optimism about booking for next summer. I think the New Year is the point at which people will think, OK, I can see the other side of this now.”

In terms of where people are hoping to go, the desire for a ‘trip of a lifetime’ may initially be trumped by the wish to stay closer to home.

“When the pandemic first started, there was an expectation that there would be this kind of ‘revenge travel’ thing, with people saying, oh I’ve saved some money, the next chance I get I’m going to climb Kilimanjaro,” says Hall. “I don’t think that’s going to happen. I think the initial return to travel is going to be characterised by people going to places that feel quite familiar.”

For travellers from the UK and Europe, this might mean holidaying elsewhere in Europe or, as of November, the US. Longer-haul destinations – especially those with low vaccination rates – are likely to take longer to come online.

“It’s partly that if you haven’t been away for two years, you’re probably quite keen to go somewhere you really like rather than trying a totally new destination,” says Tipton. “But the other issue for some of our members, who are specialist tour operators in places like South American and Africa, is that these countries are still on the UK red list. It’s clear how important overseas travel and tourism is to many countries’ economies, so hopefully we’ll start to see that changing.”

Jonny Cooper is the founder of Off the Map Travel, which offers bespoke adventure holiday packages across Scandinavia. He says demand has been strong since restrictions began to ease.

“I think Scandinavia is well suited for reopening up for travel, because it has a very low population density,” he says. “That gives people that feeling of space and helps them feel safe. People are wanting to get back to nature and reconnect with themselves, and alongside this they can get adventure with activities like snowmobiling in the winter.”

Coming out of the pandemic, he has noticed an uptick in demand for longer, more in-depth trips, as well as for multigenerational families looking to travel together. He has also witnessed a wide range of attitudes regarding what it means to travel responsibly – compounded by the patchwork of restrictions that remain in place.

“We are going to need to cater towards everyone’s feelings and attitudes around that as best we can,” he says. “I think there’s going to be an interesting picture developing over the next few months, but at the same time I think people do want to get back out there and start to experience the world again.”

Given our lack of certainty about the future course of the pandemic, travel insurance is likely to become more important than it has been in the past. Cooper feels holidaymakers want security above all else, and an understanding of what will happen if things change.

“Ultimately, I think it’s all about clarity and making sure the consumer is aware of what choices they have,” he says. “My key message would be to speak to travel experts and use their understanding and knowledge to help make decisions. As tour operators, we are there to help people find the best experience for them.”

Tipton suggests taking the opportunity to book a package holiday, as many tour operators will allow you to rebook at no cost in the event of a governmental U-turn.

“In the past, if you cancelled the trip, you would be charged the cancellation fee – simple as that, up to 100%,” he says. “This year, if the cancellation is caused by government restrictions, travel companies have stopped doing that. A lot of them are now saying you can rebook your flights for another destination or a later date.”

Hall thinks that while the logistics may seem more daunting than usual, anyone with the urge to travel ought to embrace their wanderlust.

“If you do, it will be a very strong reminder of what it is that you love about it,” he says. “The world is out there, it feels different to home, there are some wonderful experiences to be had. Re-engaging with that discovery and exploration is a brilliant thing for you as an individual, and it can be a really good thing for the places you visit as well. Yes, it can be a little more complicated, but it’s worth the effort.”

For many of us, the pandemic narrowed our horizons and made our worlds that little bit smaller. 2022 may well be a time of enlargement and expansion, as we venture beyond our own localities once again.

“There’s been this informal back channel of people saying, alright, this has come on the list, where can we go?” says Hall. “That excitement is still there, albeit tempered by the additional logistical complications around travel. I’ve just been to Denmark and Germany, and spent quite a lot of time getting ready to come back. The need for tests, passenger locator forms, and checking the requirements, does give people some pause to think.”

In other words, travel may need to be a little more planned, a little less spontaneous, throughout the months ahead. On top of that, nobody can rule out a situation in which some new variant emerges, lockdowns are reintroduced, and holidays are once again declared illegal.

In the meantime, though, it is unlikely that people who really want to go abroad will be dissuaded. On 4 October, the UK scrapped its traffic light system with a view to making travel easier. Countries are now either consigned to the red list (travel discouraged) or the ‘rest of the world’ (no quarantines required). The testing requirements may end up being simplified as well.

“We do need to get through to Christmas without seeing any incidents of rules being changed at the last minute – that’s the absolute worst thing we’re seeing for bookings,” says Hall. “But it looks to me like there is a greater optimism about booking for next summer. I think the New Year is the point at which people will think, OK, I can see the other side of this now.”

In terms of where people are hoping to go, the desire for a ‘trip of a lifetime’ may initially be trumped by the wish to stay closer to home.

“When the pandemic first started, there was an expectation that there would be this kind of ‘revenge travel’ thing, with people saying, oh I’ve saved some money, the next chance I get I’m going to climb Kilimanjaro,” says Hall. “I don’t think that’s going to happen. I think the initial return to travel is going to be characterised by people going to places that feel quite familiar.”

For travellers from the UK and Europe, this might mean holidaying elsewhere in Europe or, as of November, the US. Longer-haul destinations – especially those with low vaccination rates – are likely to take longer to come online.

“It’s partly that if you haven’t been away for two years, you’re probably quite keen to go somewhere you really like rather than trying a totally new destination,” says Tipton. “But the other issue for some of our members, who are specialist tour operators in places like South American and Africa, is that these countries are still on the UK red list. It’s clear how important overseas travel and tourism is to many countries’ economies, so hopefully we’ll start to see that changing.”

Jonny Cooper is the founder of Off the Map Travel, which offers bespoke adventure holiday packages across Scandinavia. He says demand has been strong since restrictions began to ease.

“I think Scandinavia is well suited for reopening up for travel, because it has a very low population density,” he says. “That gives people that feeling of space and helps them feel safe. People are wanting to get back to nature and reconnect with themselves, and alongside this they can get adventure with activities like snowmobiling in the winter.”

Coming out of the pandemic, he has noticed an uptick in demand for longer, more in-depth trips, as well as for multigenerational families looking to travel together. He has also witnessed a wide range of attitudes regarding what it means to travel responsibly – compounded by the patchwork of restrictions that remain in place.

“We are going to need to cater towards everyone’s feelings and attitudes around that as best we can,” he says. “I think there’s going to be an interesting picture developing over the next few months, but at the same time I think people do want to get back out there and start to experience the world again.”

Given our lack of certainty about the future course of the pandemic, travel insurance is likely to become more important than it has been in the past. Cooper feels holidaymakers want security above all else, and an understanding of what will happen if things change.

“Ultimately, I think it’s all about clarity and making sure the consumer is aware of what choices they have,” he says. “My key message would be to speak to travel experts and use their understanding and knowledge to help make decisions. As tour operators, we are there to help people find the best experience for them.”

Tipton suggests taking the opportunity to book a package holiday, as many tour operators will allow you to rebook at no cost in the event of a governmental U-turn.

“In the past, if you cancelled the trip, you would be charged the cancellation fee – simple as that, up to 100%,” he says. “This year, if the cancellation is caused by government restrictions, travel companies have stopped doing that. A lot of them are now saying you can rebook your flights for another destination or a later date.”

Hall thinks that while the logistics may seem more daunting than usual, anyone with the urge to travel ought to embrace their wanderlust.

“If you do, it will be a very strong reminder of what it is that you love about it,” he says. “The world is out there, it feels different to home, there are some wonderful experiences to be had. Re-engaging with that discovery and exploration is a brilliant thing for you as an individual, and it can be a really good thing for the places you visit as well. Yes, it can be a little more complicated, but it’s worth the effort.”

For many of us, the pandemic narrowed our horizons and made our worlds that little bit smaller. 2022 may well be a time of enlargement and expansion, as we venture beyond our own localities once again.