Testing and time issues see many Britons opting to stay at home

Lesley Cox, her husband and their daughter decided to go glamping－glamorous camping－in North Yorkshire, England, for a short holiday.

With some restrictions still in place for overseas vacations, the 38-year-old said it was too much hassle to travel outside of the United Kingdom.

"For a short break we didn't want to be spending a lot of time traveling, either," she said. "We chose this mini-break because it's only about an hour's drive from home, so it was also minimal stress as we were traveling with our 3-year-old (daughter)." Cox said the thought of flying and being in an enclosed space with other passengers isn't appealing at the moment.

"I have also been in hospital with COVID-19 and have been told I can't get vaccinated until I am fully recovered, so I don't think we would be allowed to fly anyway," she said.

But as soon as she is fully vaccinated and shows no further health issues, Cox would like to start flying and going abroad for holidays again.

"The pandemic hasn't changed the way I view travel," she said. "But it has made me appreciate how easy and carefree it has been up until now. I'm happy to relive the memories of past travels until next year at least."

However, the UK's strict testing and quarantine regime didn't stop Fiona Lau from going to Spain with friends.

"We were 'double jabbed' and decided to go on holiday because it's what we enjoy," the 36-year-old said. "We weren't too worried, and we felt pretty safe when we were abroad as there weren't too many people at our holiday destination. There was also enhanced cleaning in the accommodations and extra measures to keep guests safe."

She added that capacity was much lower compared with pre-pandemic times so they managed to maintain social distancing.

"It was just amazing to be able to leave the UK and enjoy a holiday abroad and soak up the culture there," Lau said.