Jet2 cancels flights and holidays to Cyprus until August 17

29 July 2020, 17:20

Jet2 have cancelled all holidays and flights to Cyprus. Picture: PA

By Maddie Goodfellow

Holiday company Jet2 has cancelled all flights and holidays to Cyprus until August 17.

The company said that due to the country's "prohibitive entry restrictions they have "no choice" but to suspend flights and holidays.

From 1 August, the Republic of Cyprus government have stated that the UK will move to Category B, meaning Brits will be able to visit providing they follow strict requirements.

These include providing a negative PCR test on arrival, obtained within 72 hours before travel.

All travellers to Cyprus must also complete a Cyprus Flight Pass before travelling.

Passengers will then need to present this prior to boarding and on arrival at immigration.

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A Jet2 spokesperson said: “Because of prohibitive entry restrictions into Cyprus, we have no choice but to suspend flights and holidays to Larnaca and Paphos up to and including 16th August.

"We continue to urge the Cypriot authorities to review the entry criteria in line with other destinations, so that our customers can enjoy their well-deserved holidays.“Where customers are affected by any programme changes, we have been repeatedly recognised for how we have been looking after customers, offering the option to rebook with no admin fee, a Refund Credit Note or a full cash refund, and we will be contacting customers to discuss these options.“

For customers who are due to travel to Cyprus from 17th August onwards, we are continuing to liaise with the authorities in Cyprus and we will provide further updates in due course.

"We would like to thank our customers for their understanding and patience. “

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The news comes after more than half of Britons said they need a holiday for their mental wellbeing after months of lockdown, but their priorities have changed, a new study suggests.

A survey of 2,000 adults found that half were spending more time researching and planning breaks because of the impact of the virus crisis.

Most of those questioned by holiday giant Eurocamp said having plenty of space was now an important consideration when booking a trip, with fewer than two in five listing good weather as a priority.

More than two thirds of those polled said they do not want to visit anywhere crowded, with one in five looking for somewhere off the beaten track, said the report.

Bustling nightlife and restaurants were named as important by just one in four respondents.

Eurocamp's marketing director, Chris Hilton, said it was clear holidays are going to look "very different" this year, adding: "Our research shows that people are clearly looking forward to a break or change of scenery after months of being at home.

"But of course, with that desire to get away comes a sense of nervousness about how their trip will look and feel.

"Travellers are understandably keen to make sure that they enjoy a safe but relaxing time away and that means choosing forms of travel and destinations that offer plenty of scope for social distancing."