Staycation-safety traffic light system shows which destinations are the safest this summer

Hotel booking platform, hoo, has created its own COVID-19 traffic light system for our most popular staycation destinations to give holidaymakers confidence when choosing a safe location for their summer break.

By analysing the rate at which English counties and regions are vaccinating their population against COVID-19, hoo has been able to highlight where the nation’s most vaccinated staycation destinations are based on the number of those to have received their full complete, double jab vaccination.

By matching a traffic light colour to the percentage of people each place has vaccinated, COVID-19 risk levels can be clearly allocated.

• 0% - 41.9% vaccinated = Red, higher risk.
• 42% - 58.9% vaccinated = Amber, medium risk
• 59%+ vaccinated = Green, relatively low risk.

The current vaccination rate for the whole of England is 55.5%. Any locations that have reached a higher number than this are doing well and are quickly returning to a normal way of life with low risk levels. But those places that are yet to match the national average still present a risk for visitors.

City Breaks
Sadly, very few of the UK’s major cities have jabbed enough of their populations to be given a green light, with 2nd vaccination levels well below the national average. Nowhere is this more true than in London and Manchester.

In Manchester, only 37% of the population has so far been given two jabs, while in London it’s just under 41%. Both of these cities are major tourist attractions but, for the next few months, the COVID-19 risk remains higher than almost anywhere else in the country.

Birmingham (44%), Liverpool (48%), and Newcastle (45%) are all under amber lights, doing slightly better than London and Manchester, but yet to reach that all important green light threshold.

Seaside Towns
There is good news for those of us who are looking specifically for an English seaside holiday. Skegness (72%), Margate (67%), Great Yarmouth (62%), and Bournemouth (60%) are all in the green light zone, making them some of the lowest risk places to visit in England. They all also happen to boast glorious beaches and endless adventure.

There are, however, some seaside locations that remain in the amber light bracket, such as Hastings on the south east coast where just 57% of the population has had the 2nd jab. Herne Bay and Hastings also currently sit within the amber classification where vaccination levels are concerned.

Countryside Towns
For holidaymakers who prefer the countryside over the seaside, there are plenty of green light options.

Alnwick, Northumberland, has fully vaccinated 69% of the population, Harrogate, North Yorkshire, and Tetbury in the Cotswolds have both reached 67%, while Nantwich, Cheshire, has hit 64%. These are some of the lowest risk UK countryside holiday destinations this summer.

hoo Co-founder, Adrian Murdock, commented: “Fingers crossed, we’re finally coming to the end of this most difficult of times. It’s been a long 18 months and while we’re not out of the woods yet, we look to be well on our way.

Foreign travel, however, remains very much in doubt for this summer with only a handful of countries being given the green light by the government with no guarantee that it will stay green for long.

Here in the UK, our vaccination programme has been going great guns, outperforming most larger countries around the world. This means that, while foreign holidays are off the table, a Great British holiday is very much in play.

We’ve analysed England’s current vaccination levels and created our own traffic light system for staycation destinations this summer. And while there is always going to be an element of risk, high vaccination levels of 60% and up suggest that it’s at its lowest in these places.

We encourage everyone to get out and enjoy the amazing holidays that England has to offer - so long as you follow the guidelines and act with caution where necessary, this summer should be a time to remember for all the right reasons.”