Stay or go? Ireland weighs the risks as international travel set to resume

Consumers may be craving a holiday in the sun, but concern at fresh Covid surges and a lack of certainty around vaccine effectiveness against variants mean many of them are choosing to stay home this year

Passengers arrive at Faro airport in the Algarve: Portugal reopened to international tourists on May 17, but in the last three weeks it has had a new spike in daily cases. Picture: Getty

Hotels, B&Bs and guesthouses across Ireland reopened their doors last Monday to a steady stream of people eager to holiday at home. But for some, Connemara will never be the Costa del Sol, and airlines and travel agents have reported a robust trade in bookings following the government’s promise that international travel will resume in mid-July.

This has been made possible by the EU Digital Covid Certificate (EUDCC) gateway, an effort by the bloc to ...