Nicola Sturgeon says 'I can't guarantee you'll be able to go on holiday this summer - even in Scotland'

Nicola Sturgeon today said she could not give a “100 per cent guarantee” that people would be able to go on holiday this summer, even within Scotland

Nicola Sturgeon advised against booking a foreign holiday Pic: Getty Images

And she warned trade-offs lay ahead.

She told the daily coronavirus briefing: "I would say to people not to book foreign holidays, not to book travel overseas because of the risks of importation of new variants. And I would say to people just be cautious about booking holidays, even domestically.

"I want nothing more than to say to you ‘Go and book staycations’ because I want to support the tourist industry. The minute I think I can do that I will be doing it.

"If you want to do that and take the chance it will be ok that’s not for me to decide for you, but I can’t guarantee to you right now that if you book a holiday even at home, even in another part of the UK, I can’t give you a 100 per cent guarantee that by the time we get to the date of that holiday everything will be ok for you to go.”

Ms Sturgeon added there would have to be “trade-offs” in the weeks ahead.

"We’re not going to be able to do everything we want to do, so we’re probably going to have to decide over the next few months what are the things that matter most to us.

"If we all go on summer holiday and bring the virus back we’ll find we’re pretty quickly living under strict lockdown again potentially. So we have to decide: is it worth saying we’ll forego the overseas holiday this year, but in return for that we get the kids in schools, we can keep them in school, we maybe get to see older relatives again, even if there are still some restrictions.

"If going on overseas summer holidays is what matters most to us then fine, but we have to understand what the implications of that are. If seeing our loved ones, making sure our kids get some kids get some kind of normality, if that’s what matters most to us – and I suspect for most people it is – then maybe just a bit more sacrifice on holidays for a bit longer is what we have to put up with.”

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