U.K. Travel List Helps Portugal, Hurts Spain, Greece and Italy
May 11 2021, 11:10 AM
May 10 2021, 2:45 PM
May 11 2021, 11:10 AM
(Bloomberg Opinion) -- Holiday to Portugal anyone?
(Bloomberg Opinion) -- Holiday to Portugal anyone?
Demand for trips to the countryâs Algarve beaches surged after the U.K. unveiled its so-called âgreen listâ of places open for travel on Friday. Portugal, Gibraltar, Israel and Iceland made the cut, meaning English travelers can book vacations there without having to worry about quarantining upon their return.
The inclusion of relatively few countries on the approved list may be sensible given that Europe has lagged the U.K. in vaccinations. Lawmakers also want to avoid a repeat of last autumnâs second wave of Covid-19 infections, which followed a summer of getaways. But it is a blow to the tourist economies of France, Spain, Italy and Greece, which are set to miss out on Brits hitting the beach â at least in the short term. They have been designated âamberâ in the traffic-light system governing international travel permitted from May 17.