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LONDON, June 3 (Reuters) - No new countries will be added to
Britain's green list for international travel when the number of
quarantine-free destinations is updated later on Thursday, The
Sun reported.
The newspaper, which did not name its sources, also said
talks were ongoing to decide whether Portugal, a popular holiday
destination for Britons, would remain open for travel.
Airlines and travel companies have been hoping the green
list will be expanded, and any failure to add more destinations
will be a fresh blow for the tourism industry which had looked
to June for a recovery to start.
Britain permitted travel again on May 17 after more than
four months of lockdown, but the reopening has to date been very
limited, heaping pressure on airlines already weakened by 15
months of lockdowns.
Portugal is currently the only popular European destination
where Britons can go without needing to quarantine on their
return, providing a lifeline for airlines like easyJet
and Ryanair and travel companies like.
If Portugal is removed from the green list, the government
will be effectively shutting down international leisure travel
once more despite continuing to unlock the domestic economy.
Travel to amber and red countries is not illegal but it is
discouraged and many countries on those lists are not open to
Britons for holidays, just essential travel or work.
Worries over new more transmissible variants of coronavirus
are now threatening the European peak travel summer season, when
millions of Britons usually head to southern Europe in July and
August.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned the travel
industry on Wednesday that protecting the country's vaccine
roll-out was his priority.
"I want you to know we will have no hesitation in moving
countries from the green list to the amber list to the red list
if we have to do so. The priority is to continue the vaccine
rollout, to protect the people of this country," he told
reporters.
The Sun also said in its report that new countries would be
added to the 'red list'.
(Reporting by William James and Sarah Young, Editing by Paul
Sandle and Kate Holton)
