Tour operator TUI is increasing its number of flights in the month of May again due to the growing demand, after previously reducing them because of unclear travel regulations.
Many bookings are coming in for destinations that have not been coloured red on the ECDC's travel map for some time, such as Mallorca and Ibiza, according to TUI.
"We are deploying additional flights because the demand exceeds the reduced supply," spokesperson Piet Demeyere told the Belga news agency. "Three weeks ago, Ascension Day and Pentecost were considered a lost cause, now we see some prospects."
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TUI feels that the demand in the market is growing, especially among those who have been vaccinated, according to Demeyere. "Spring is traditionally the travel period of senior citizens. Many of them feel more secure now. Why should we not adapt our offer?"
Additionally, a number of previously red zones have turned orange in the latest update to the map this week, including several islands popular for tourists.
Together with several other big players in Belgium, TUI continues to press for permission to offer trips to red zones without compulsory quarantine on return, a press release states.
That would involve travel under strictly controlled conditions with many tests. So far, however, Belgium's federal government has not given the green light for this.
The tour operator currently does not organise package journeys to red zones, where quarantine on return is mandatory.
The Brussels Times
