Canary Islands and Majorca next on Green list - Spain cruise latest
Spain holidays received another boost today as Transport Secretary announced the Canary Islands and Majorca could feature on the upcoming green list.
Spain islands including the Canaries and Majorca could be open for holidays from June 7 when the next traffic light system review is due.
Holidaymakers could still jet off to these popular destinations even if mainland Spain remains on the amber list.
Should Spanish islands be put on the green list, Britons will no longer have to quarantine on their return.
The travel industry has long called for the Government to expand the green list.
Currently, only Portugal and Iceland are viable options for holidays.
Rory Boland, Which? Travel Editor, said: "Moving some popular island destinations to the green list if the health situation allows would be potentially great news for holidaymakers, as it would open up travel with minimal hassle to popular destinations like the Canaries, Balearics and some Greek islands.
"The government should use the next review to ensure the list of green, amber and red countries and destinations are aligned with Foreign Office advice.
"Currently, there are a number of amber list destinations that do not carry travel warnings from the FCDO – and anyone with a booking to one of those destinations risks losing their money if they follow government advice and decide to cancel."
He added: "The government should remove the confusion around travel advice by ensuring that amber and red list destinations also come with Foreign Office travel warnings.
"That should allow any package holiday customers who can not travel to get a refund."
Spain axed its entry requirements for Britons on Monday in exciting step forward for Mediterranean getaways.
"From May 24, entry restrictions and testing requirements for arrivals from the UK to Spain no longer apply," the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) stated.
Spanish prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, said at a tourism fair in Madrid on Friday: “Spain will be delighted, very delighted to welcome all British tourists and tourists from some other countries with low Covid infection rates.”
So, what about the return of cruises? Cruise lines are currently highly limited with itineraries due to the restrictive green list but bookings are open for voyages all over Europe this summer.
However, the Government warns: "The FCDO advises against international sea-going cruise travel based on the latest public health medical advice.
The Global Travel Taskforce's report adds: "The UK government will restart international cruises alongside the wider restart of international travel, in line with the 'traffic light' system."
It is hoped that when more countries are added to the green list, cruises will be able to go ahead with confidence.
