Holiday in Portugal in May – but get the jab first

PORTUGAL and the Spanish islands have followed Cyprus in welcoming British holidaymakers from the middle of May.

The Spanish government said it hopes to allow British tourists to visit the Canary and Balearic Islands from May, as long as they have a negative test.

Rita Marques, Portugal’s tourism minister, hoped the country would soon allow restriction-free travel for those who have been vaccinated or test negative.

Travel experts believe that Greece and Turkey will also announce that they want Britons to return. However, a spokesman for the French government said no decision had been made.

It comes after Cyprus announced it would accept British tourists from May 1 if they have had both vaccine shots. Deputy tourism minister Savvas Perdios said these individuals can ‘visit Cyprus without a negative test or needing to quarantine’.

However, the UK Government said that the roadmap states that international travel will not be allowed before May 17.

Portugal is currently on the UK’s red list, with arrivals banned from entry, unless they are UK residents or Irish nationals who must quarantine in a hotel. Travel industry expert Paul Charles, of the PC Agency, said that as more ‘countries unveil their opening plans’, bookings will increase as confidence returns.

And airlines are developing a Travel Pass app, which can include a traveller’s vaccine or Covid-19 test result status, through industry body IATA.

Last night government sources insisted that the roadmap dates would not be brought forward and one said: ‘The holiday debate is yet to be had but expectations need to be reined in.’