Travel column with Katie Butler of Total Travel. Dubai is back, Tunisia is calling and Yorkshire is melting!
Wow what a scorcher! We all love a bit of sunshine in Yorkshire, but as I always say, it’s not the same as being sat round a pool on holiday with a cold beer on tap and not a care in the world.
The sunshine certainly got plenty of folk thinking about holidays, and there has been some welcome news for anyone with their eye on the Middle and Far East. The UK Foreign Office has now lifted its travel advice against all but essential travel to the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain and most parts of Saudi Arabia. For many (including us), this is the news we have been waiting for.
Destinations such as Dubai have remained hugely popular over recent years, and uncertainty around travel advice caused plenty of people to put their plans on hold. The lifting of restrictions also has a wider impact, as many flights to destinations such as Thailand, the Maldives and Australia connect through Dubai and other Gulf airports. Over the last few weeks there had been plenty of rumours that restrictions could soon be eased, and now that it has finally happened, I don’t think it will take long for bookings to bounce back. Many people have been sat on the fence waiting for official confirmation before committing to a holiday.
Another week and yet another new route announcement – Jet2 has announced a new destination for summer 2027, and it is good news for Yorkshire travellers as flights will be available direct from Leeds Bradford Airport. Tunisia is making a return to Jet2’s programme, with flights operating between May and October 2027. Services will run from Leeds Bradford as well as Birmingham, East Midlands, Manchester and London Stansted.
For anyone who has never considered Tunisia before, it offers a bit of everything. You’ve got long sandy beaches, plenty of sunshine, fascinating history and culture, and generally very good value for money compared with some of the more established Mediterranean destinations. Resorts such as Hammamet, Sousse, Mahdia and Port el Kantaoui have long been favourites with British holidaymakers.
As always, I’ll finish with a quick look at what people have been booking over the past week. July 2026 remained the most popular departure month, accounting for 16 per cent of all bookings. August followed with 12 per cent, closely matched by September, which also secured a 12 per cent share. Late bookings continue to be a major trend, making up 43 per cent of all holidays booked last week. As for destinations, the classics continue to dominate – Tenerife took top spot once again, followed by Majorca in second place and Benidorm in third.
On that note, next week I will be writing from, hopefully, a ‘hotter than Yorkshire’ Costa Del Sol where I will be spending a short break on a girls’ holiday. Of course, whilst there, I will be checking out some hotels and seeing first hand what is going on in Spain with the EES (Entry/Exit System.) After what seems like a lifetime of dieting (No carbs before Marbs), I look forward to some sunshine, tapas and a very cold pint of San Miguel. Adios!