UK puts 12 holiday destinations on 'green list'

The UK government has published a list of 12 countries and territories that people in England can travel to on holiday from 17 May.

Portugal and Gibraltar are included, but other popular summer holiday destinations such as Spain, France and Italy are excluded. A new 'traffic light' system means leisure travel from England is no longer illegal, although Covid-19 tests will still be required before and after travel to green list destinations. Anyone returning from green list countries will not have to quarantine.

The reopening of holiday travel for people in England will give a boost to the UK's jet fuel demand, which remains way below pre-pandemic levels. Latest data put jet-kersoine consumption in the UK at 719,000t in March, 39pc lower than a year earlier. The UK government first advised against non-essential travel overseas on 17 March last year.

The other 10 destinations now open for holidays for people in England are: Israel, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, Brunei, Iceland and the Faroe Islands, as well as the Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas), Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, and Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha, all of which are British overseas territories.

The government has advised people to check before booking as many of the countries on the green list have restrictions on UK travellers. It also said that people should not be travelling to amber and red countries for leisure "given that the virus is still spreading in many parts of the world".

Turkey, the Maldives and Nepal will be added to England's red list from 04:00 BST on 12 May, which means UK residents arriving from those destinations will have to quarantine in a hotel for 10 days on their return. The red, amber and green lists will be reviewed every three weeks.

By James Keates