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LISBON, May 14 (Reuters) - British holidaymakers are on
tenterhooks as Portuguese authorities have yet to decide whether
the country will allow them to visit from next week even after
Britain's government cleared them to go, prompting a surge in
bookings.
Britain added Portugal to a "green" list of foreign
destinations a week ago, allowing Britons to travel there from
May 17 without needing to quarantine when returning home.
But Portugal has not made clear whether UK tourists will
indeed be allowed to enter and under what conditions.
Current European Union rules prohibit non-essential travel
from outside the bloc - leaving those who have already booked
flights and hotels in limbo as to whether they could be turned
away at the border.
A cabinet meeting on Thursday was widely expected to reach a
decision on the matter but none was announced. A spokesperson
for the interior ministry, which is responsible for border
announcements, said the authorities were working on the issue
and a decision would be announced when it was ready.
The British Embassy in Lisbon said it had no further
information on when a decision would be made. Prime Minister
Antonio Costa's office declined to comment and the foreign
ministry did not respond to a request for comment.
Under the new British rules, travellers to Portugal would
only need to take one coronavirus test upon returning to the UK.
Other popular European holiday spots for Britons like Spain and
Cyprus are on the "amber list", meaning travellers would need to
quarantine for 10 days upon return and take two tests.
Airlines and flight companies including Easyjet,
Ryanair and TUI have put flexible booking
policies in place in order to assure customers they will not
lose their money if flights are cancelled.
EasyJet, for example, which over the last week added around
100,000 extra seats to Portugal for the summer, allows customers
to change their flights for free up to two hours before
departure. Customers will pay the difference if the new ticket
is more expensive.
(Reporting by Lisbon bureau, Sarah Young in London; writing by
Victoria Waldersee; editing by Andrei Khalip and Mark Heinrich)
