UK tourists hold thumbs as Portugal ponders reopening

British travellers longing for a sunny getaway are waiting to hear whether they will have access to the beaches of Portugal after it held off on lifting entry restrictions on UK arrivals.

A decision should be made “very soon”, a spokesperson for Portugal’s ministry of home affairs said.

On Thursday, presidency minister Mariana Vieira da Silva said that there was still work to be done before updating rules that are in effect until May 16.

At stake is an alreadydelayed start to a summer season that is crucial to airlines after the coronavirus triggered a slump that has lasted more than a year. Carriers have pinned their hopes on a quick uptick after Portugal became one of a handful of destinations greenlisted by Britain as it lifts a ban on overseas travel starting May 17.

But unless Portugal adjusts its own border policy, most Brits will not be allowed in. Under the current rules, Portugal bars visitors from the UK unless they are residents or travelling for socalled essential purposes.

The Portuguese government is expected open its doors, especially after the Champions League soccer final was set for May 29 with two English teams. The contest was moved to Porto from Turkey.

Tourist-dependent EU economies are eager to receive visitors from the UK, which with Germany is one of the biggest sources of tourists in the region.

For Portugal, there is an added wrinkle to the calculation. While EU countries set their own border rules, the bloc now restricts all non-essential travel from outside, except for a handful of third countries.

Travellers have a lot at stake as well in the Portuguese decision. Paul, an English farmer who did not give his last name, is part of a group of 13 family and friends who have booked flights to Faro and paid £60 each for coronavirus tests. They own a three-week timeshare in the area with an annual slot that is not movable from its allotted date starting next week.

“We take the risks because we have the timeshare out there,” said the 56-year-old from Shropshire. “It’s all very well people saying you should stay at home, but we didn’t go last year so we lost that money.”

OTHER CHOICES

For now, British residents will not have many other choices if they are shut out of Portugal. Spain and Greece were left off of Britain’s initial green list, making it harder for families to plan trips.

Airlines have increased flights to Portugal in anticipation of a surge in bookings. Ryanair, Europe’s biggest discount carrier, has added 245,000 seats from the UK since last Friday, while easyJet has added 105,000 spots to the country and Gibraltar, another greenlisted destination.

While passengers returning to the UK from greenlit places will not be required to quarantine, they will still be subject to Covid-19 tests.