Travel companies report their biggest Saturday sales EVER as bargain hunters rush to book
Eurotunnel website CRASHES and travel firms report their biggest Saturday sales EVER as people rush to book before ‘traffic light’ system letting Brits holiday WITHOUT quarantine comes into force ‘on July 6’
- Spain-holiday.com, the third biggest holiday rental site in Spain, said it had a record-breaking morning today
- TUI, Britain’s leading tour operator, reported a rise of 50 per cent in bookings this week compared to last
- Families can book holidays as ministers have agreed to open air corridors with dozens of countries last night
- The Foreign Office will also lift its advice against ‘all but essential travel’ to low or medium-risk destinations
- In a traffic light system, countries will be rated green, amber or red based on infection levels and other criteria
By Jason Groves and Amelia Murray and Tom Chesshyre For The Daily Mail and James Gant For Mailonline
Published: 17:28 EDT, 26 June 2020 | Updated: 12:13 EDT, 27 June 2020
Travel companies have reported their biggest Saturday sales ever as bargain hunters rushed to book before a ‘traffic light system’ letting Britons go on holiday to the safest destinations without having to quarantine is unveiled on Wednesday and comes into force on July 6.
The partial dismantling of Priti Patel‘s quarantine scheme means UK holidaymakers will be able to return home without having to self-isolate for 14 days. The Foreign Office will also lift its advice against ‘all but essential travel’ to low or medium-risk destinations, making it possible to obtain travel insurance.
The Eurotunnel website crashed earlier today with online bookings not working properly as ‘too many customers are trying to make a booking’, according to the company.
Spain-holiday.com, the third biggest holiday rental site in Spain, said it had a record-breaking Saturday morning while TUI, Britain’s leading tour operator, reported a rise of 50 per cent in bookings compared to last week.
Tour operators were yesterday offering record discounts of up to 70 per cent for trips to France, Spain, Italy and Greece. The changes will also let foreign tourists visit the UK, giving a boost to the beleaguered hospitality sector.
Head of International Brands at Spain-holiday.com Peter Jarvis said: ‘We’re already seeing a huge increase in online interest in our holiday homes from the UK market, with pool properties being the most popular (up 104 per cent).
‘Vigilance is absolutely still needed but with sensible precautions on either end we are confident we will see a safe summer in the sun for Brits again this year.’
Under the traffic light system, drawn up by the Joint Biosecurity Centre and Public Health England and set to be in place by July 6, countries will be rated green, amber or red based on coronavirus infection levels, the reliability of official data and confidence in test and trace systems.
The automatic 14-day quarantine requirement will remain only for ‘red-rated’ countries such as the US and Brazil. Travel between ‘green’ and ‘amber’ countries will be quarantine-free, but passengers will have to fill in a ‘locator form’ to trace their movements.
‘Green’ countries are expected to include Austria, Croatia, Greece and Germany while ‘Amber’ countries include France, Italy, Portugal, Switzerland and Spain. It is hoped an agreement will be reached with Australia and New Zealand in the coming weeks to add them to the list of ‘green’ countries.
Travel companies have reported their biggest Saturday sales ever as bargain hunters rushed to book before a ‘traffic light system’ is unveiled on Wednesday (pictured: beaches are jam-packed on the beach of Calella in Barcelona on June 20)
Managing Director of TUI UK & Ireland Andrew Flintham said: ‘We’re pleased the Government has finally confirmed that holidays overseas will be able to go ahead, and the full list of green and amber destinations will be released on Wednesday.
Under a traffic light system (above), countries will be rated green, amber or red based on infection levels, the reliability of official data and confidence in test and trace systems
‘It’s a hugely positive step forward for the travel industry and I know our customers will be ecstatic that their summer is saved.
‘We’ve already seen bookings increase by 50 per cent this week, verses last, with holidays to Spain and Greece looking the most popular this summer. We know there were a lot of people hoping to travel and waiting for certainty that would be possible.’
Spain-holiday.com, the third biggest holiday rental site in Spain, said it had a 42 per cent surge in bookings – 24 per cent higher than any previous Saturday.
Mr Jarvis said: ‘So we would advise anyone who fancies falling back in love with Spanish paella, beaches and sangria this year to move fast.’
Tour operators were yesterday offering deep discounts to lure travellers abroad. A family of four can save well over £500 on headline prices to Greece.
Emma Coulthurst, of the holiday comparison site Travelsupermarket, said: ‘There are prices as low as £140 per person for a week to Corfu in September and around £200 for a week in the Mediterranean in August. This is unheard of.
‘For the height of summer in August, there are definitely some of the best prices on offer which we’ve seen. With talk of high demand and prices for holidays in the UK, it seems it is currently cheaper to book a holiday abroad than at home.’
TUI, Britain’s leading tour operator, is offering as much as 68 per cent off breaks to Europe and Trailfinders is offering reductions of a third on villas that would usually have been booked up months ago.
Countries across the world are highlighted in green, amber or red based on the infection levels, the reliability of official data and confidence in test and trace systems
The partial dismantling of Priti Patel’s quarantine scheme means UK holidaymakers will be able to return home without having to self-isolate for 14 days (pictured, people enjoy the warm weather at the beach in Barcelona)
Chairman Mike Gooley said: ‘Bookings made now are benefiting from huge discounts.’
Downing Street warned it was ready to apply a ‘handbrake’ at short notice – meaning families could find the quarantine rules reinstated while they are abroad if there is an outbreak in the country they are visiting.
All travellers returning to the UK will have to provide contact details in case an outbreak is traced to their flight and they have to self-isolate. Failure to comply could result in a £1,000 fine.
And they will have to follow social-distancing measures on flights and ferries, including wearing face coverings.
How will flights look different?
Socially-distanced queues at check-in and security.
Passengers must wear masks throughout the flight, including children.
There will be temperature checks on arrival.
Passengers will fill out contact tracing forms and give their holiday address and home address.
A detailed list of travel corridor destinations will be finalised next week but sources said it would include the most popular Mediterranean hotspots.
Portugal is in doubt following an outbreak in Lisbon that has led to the imposition of a curfew. Sweden will not be included and Turkey is also ‘doubtful’.
Despite being touted by the Government as a country which could benefit from the new arrangements in little over a week’s time, Greek tourism minister Haris Theoharis indicated it could be up to three weeks before his country was happy to open up unrestricted travel with the UK.
He told BBC Breakfast: ‘I feel the way things are now – and we always have to put this asterisk that the health situation has to continue to be on the same track as it is now – that we can certainly lift the restrictions in the next few days or, you know, two to three weeks.’ Long-haul flights will be possible provided that any transit country is also deemed safe.
The moves pave the way for foreign holidays this summer, with travel corridors set to be in place by July 6.
A Government spokesman said last night: ‘Our new risk-assessment system will enable us to carefully open a number of safe travel routes around the world – giving people the opportunity for a summer holiday abroad and boosting the UK economy through tourism and business.
‘But we will not hesitate to put on the brakes if any risks re-emerge, and this system will enable us to take swift action to re-introduce self-isolation measures if new outbreaks occur overseas.’
Jonathan Smith from the Association of British Travel Agents welcomed the move, telling the Today programme: ‘I think this is incredibly welcome news for the travel industry which has had a very difficult time these past few weeks and months and will encourage people to book and allow them to enjoy a summer holiday.’
But he warned travel firms still faced going bust with the huge numbers of redundancies seen in recent months set to continue.
He added: ‘What is important now is that travel agents and operators have the opportunity to restart their businesses and the sector can start to recover because they have been having an incredibly difficult time.
‘There have been many redundancies and firms have been unfortunately made bankrupt and that will continue to be the case for some time before we see a proper recovery.’
A Whitehall source acknowledged many families ‘may not choose to travel’ this summer.
The air corridor scheme raises questions about the initial decision to press ahead with a blanket quarantine regime that has been in place only since June 8.
The plan, which was championed by Boris Johnson’s chief adviser Dominic Cummings and Home Secretary Ms Patel, led to an immediate backlash from Tory MPs and the travel industry.
Since June 8, all passengers – bar a handful of exemptions – have been required to go into self-isolation for a fortnight at a declared address when they arrive in the UK.
Those who fail to comply can be fined £1,000 in England, and police are allowed to use ‘reasonable force’ to make sure they follow the rules.
The International Consolidated Airlines Group (IAG) branded the blanket quarantine measures ‘illogical’ and budget airline Ryanair labelled them ‘idiotic rubbish’.
Paul Charles, from pressure group Quash Quarantine, also hit out at the policy delays, telling the Sun: ‘The Government has abandoned air bridges for this traffic-light system. This symbolises the made-up policy, lack of visibility and a lack of clarity, which is hurting our industry.
‘Why are decisions being pushed back further? July is ebbing away in terms of bookings, half the summer is gone, and the longer this goes on there will inevitably be more job losses.’
But with Home Secretary Priti Patel promising to review the restrictions every three weeks, the Government has signalled that the quarantine will be lifted for a host of destinations in time for the holiday season.
Under the change all Britons will have to supply an address and a telephone number on their return, enabling them to be tracked and told to self-isolate in the event of an outbreak at their holiday destination.
Spain’s tourism leaders says all hopes are pinned on UK’s crucial decisions on safe corridors and quashing quarantine
By Rita Sobot
Spain says its tourist season this summer is hanging on a knife-edge as the holiday industry awaits the UK’s decision on air corridors and the lifting of its 14-day quarantine for Brits returning from abroad.
Turespana, the national agency responsible for marketing Spain’s tourism around the world, says it is almost certain that Spain WILL be included in the list of air corridors to be announced any day now by Boris Johnson.
But the organisation says the position of the 14-day quarantine has also to be clarified if British holidaymakers, already ‘chomping at the bit’, are going to put their desire into practice and finally book a break in Spain.
In a comprehensive report on the UK market, Turespana says the Brits are desperate to return and internet searches have revealed Benidorm is top of their list. The Canary Islands and Balearics are also hot favourites for UK holidaymakers, either in Augut or September or towards the end of the year.
The Brits form Spain’s biggest market by far, representing more than 21 per cent of the total and bringing in over 18 million visitors.
Turespana says the Boris Johnson has promised to look at the quarantine rule every three weeks and the first review is on June 29th. Any decisions taken on this day will be crucial to Spain’s tourist prospects, it stresses.
The agency says all the major airlines are ready to take off again, with most resuming flights from July 1st, including Ryanair and EasyJet.
But it says the UK’s quarantine decision was like a ‘jug of cold water’ being thrown over holidaymakers and led to a barrage of cancellations.
Turespana says it notes the efforts of the Quash Quarantine group which is threatening to take its challenge to the courts and the pressure group’s own survey has shown that 59 per cent of Brits are in favour of safe corridors.
Now, it says, all eyes, including those of hoteliers, restaurants, bars and businesses in Spain, are on what the British government does next.
Up, up and away! Country by country, your guide to the destinations and the sunshine deals
By Tom Chesshyre
With much of Europe set to reopen for the summer holidays, here’s our guide to the leading ‘air bridge’ contenders – and the getaway deals that are ALL between 30 per cent and 70 per cent cheaper than usual:
France says ‘Oui’
President Emmanuel Macron had refused to lift France’s quarantine on British visitors unless we did the same for French citizens coming here.
Now an ‘air bridge’ is set to be formed, opening up our second most popular holiday destination.
Expect strict social distancing in restaurants, bars, markets and stores, where shopkeepers reserve the right to demand customers wear face masks. Gatherings of more than ten people in public are banned. Nightclubs are closed.
Holidaymakers are able to book holidays again as ministers agreed last night to open air corridors with dozens of countries, including Spain, who have put plans in place for the tourist season (above)
Bag a bargain: A fortnight at a cottage for four in Brittany from £1,200 in August including Portsmouth-St Malo ferry crossing with car (brittany-ferries.co.uk); A fortnight at a four-star beachfront hotel in Cannes with flights and transfers departing from Gatwick in August from £1,400pp (easyjet.com); A week at a villa sleeping six on the Aigues Mortes Marina in Languedoc Roussillon from £950, excluding flights (holidayfrancedirect.co.uk).
What will hotels look like?
Guests will wear masks at reception and other indoor communal areas.
Receptionists will be behind a Perspex screen, similar to those in supermarkets.
Some will test temperatures on arrival. Different groups should not get in the same lift.
At breakfast, guests will be asked to wear a mask and sanitise their hands at the entrance. Many resorts are handing out disposable plastic gloves.
Some hotels are scrapping breakfast buffets, with staff bringing food to your table.
The hotels which still serve buffets are adopting a one-way system and a limit on the number of people at food counters.
Tables will be 1.5 metres apart and guests will be encouraged to eat outside, if possible.
British annual visitors: 10.3million
Smiling in Spain
After holding back over Britain’s indifferent Covid record, Spain reopened its borders to UK visitors on June 21.
A royal decree to wear face masks has been issued for hotels, restaurants, museums, attractions and shops when social distancing of 1.5 metres is impossible; see spain.info.
Bag a bargain: A fortnight at the Jardin del Sol Apartments on Gran Canaria from £640pp departing from Gatwick on August 8 (tui.co.uk); A fortnight for a family of four from £2,436 at Cristina Villas in Cala Millor on Majorca departing from Manchester on August 16 (jet2holidays.com); A fortnight for a family of four from £2,156 at Villa La Canada, a self-catering property with a pool near Frigiliana in Andalucia with Gatwick flights on August 29 (jamesvillas.co.uk).
British visitors: 18.1million
Gunning for Greece
With fewer than 4,000 coronavirus cases, Greece has avoided the worst of the pandemic.
Since early May it has been relaxing its lockdown rules with shops, archaeological sites, restaurants, cafes, bars, leisure parks, and spas opening.
From July 1, cultural events will be allowed. Ferries have been running for more than a month. Face masks must be worn on public transport, in taxis and in some shops.
Bag a bargain: A seven-night all-inclusive stay at Crete Maris Beach Resort from £3,332 for a family of four with Gatwick flights on August 7 (bestattravel.co.uk); A fortnight-long three-star, self-catering break in Aghios Georgios in Corfu from £438pp with Luton flights on August 1 (travelsupermarket.com); A fortnight at upmarket Villa Penelope I, sleeping four, with a pool, from £4,691 on August 16 (oliverstravels.com); Easyjet flights for family of four from £828 (easyjet.com).
British visitors: 3.4million
Tour operators were yesterday offering record discounts of up to 70 per cent for trips to France, Spain, Italy and Greece. Pictured, a passenger arriving on the first flight from Stansted on 21 June
Italy is ready
Hotels, bars, restaurants, museums, campsites and, even mountain huts have reopened. Face masks must be worn in indoor public places, and in outdoor places where one-metre social distancing is impossible.
What will be the scenes on the beaches?
Masks will not be compulsory on the beach.
At popular resorts, a traffic light system will let people know how busy the beach is.
When it hits red, no more will be allowed on the sand.
In Benidorm, below, visitors will have to book a 13ft x 13ft taped-off area on the beach using an app.
Areas will be colour-coded: blue for general use and red for the over-70s
Big signs have been put up with advice on how to stay Covid-free.
Tourists will be asked to keep a three-metre space between umbrellas and a 1.5 metre gap between towels.
Sunbeds will be spaced two metres apart and fixed down in some resorts. They will be disinfected before reuse. Mattresses will have plastic covers to help keep them sanitised.
Some beaches are banning team games such as football and volleyball. Inflatables are also banned.
Children can bring buckets and spades, but they cannot be shared with other children
At busy resorts, tourists will be asked to wear masks on promenades and will have to follow a blue-arrowed one-way system.
In Lombardy it is still mandatory to wear masks outdoors. Social distancing on beaches is 1.5 metres. Temperature checks may be requested.
Bag a bargain: A fortnight at the four-star Grand Hotel Francia e Quirinale in Tuscany from £952pp B&B on August 22 with Heathrow flights (citalia.com); A week at TUI BLUE Astro Azzurro in Piano di Sorrento from £1,076pp all-inclusive on August 24 (tui.co.uk); A fortnight at Villa Le Vignacce in Volterra, Tuscany, sleeping four, from £3,476 for a family of four including Gatwick flights on August 28 (jamesvillas.co.uk).
British visitors: 5.1million
Portugal at risk
The possibility of an air bridge to Portugal is still in doubt after its infection rate rose, with an announcement expected next week. But authorities there have introduced a ‘Clean and Safe’ standard requiring hotels and B&Bs to maintain stringent hygiene standards.
In public areas, social distance of two metres is required and face masks are mandatory on transport and in busy shops.
Golf courses, zoos, oceanariums, restaurants and cafes have reopened. Some extra restrictions have also been put in place in Lisbon.
Bag a bargain: A fortnight at the Monica Isabel Beach Club in Albufeira, the Algarve, from £1,333pp with Stansted flights on August 14 (onthebeach.co.uk); A fortnight at the Jupiter Algarve Hotel in Praia da Rocha from £1,267 B&B on August 7 from Manchester (firstchoice.co.uk); A week at the upmarket Pine Cliffs Resort in the Algarve from £3,439 B&B for a family of four with Stansted flights and transfers (destinology.co.uk).
British visitors: 3.3million
Cyprus on the map
It will have taken a while for Britain to get the tourist thumbs up from Cyprus – 22 countries in the EU were ahead of us.
But it will be worth the wait, especially as visitors have reassuringly been promised free medical attention in the (highly unlikely) event of coming down with Covid.
Intensive care units have been set aside and the cost of lodging, food, drink and medication will be covered for those affected and their families. Social distancing is required in hotels, restaurants and bars.
All travellers returning to the UK will have to provide contact details in case an outbreak is traced to their flight and they have to self-isolate. Failure to comply could result in a £1,000 fine (above, German tourists arriving in Spain on June 15)
Bag a bargain: A week at the five-star Azia Resort & Spa in Paphos from £697pp B&B with Stansted flights on August 26 (loveholidays.com); A fortnight at the Avanti Holiday Village near Paphos from £3,476 self-catering for a family of four departing Glasgow on August 1 (jet2holidays.com); A fortnight at the Village and Coastal Villas in the Troodos mountains from £1,143pp self-catering with Manchester flights on August 1 (sunvil.co.uk).
British visitors: 1.3million
Croatia wants us
The chief of the Croatian National Tourist Office in London says government officials are ‘actively lobbying Britain – we really value British guests’.
Britons can already visit Croatia, but visitors are required to fill out an online form at entercroatia.mup.hr.
They must also provide proof of accommodation has been booked on arrival. Restaurants, hotels, cafes and beaches have been open since May.
Bag a bargain: A fortnight at Hotel Lapad in Dubrovnik from £1,084pp B&B departing Stansted on July 26 (jet2holidays.com); A fortnight at Villa Ruzica in Trogir from £643pp departing from Stansted on July 26 (onthebeach.co.uk); A fortnight at Villa Konalic on the Dubrovnik Riviera from £2,001 for a family of four departing on August 20 from Manchester (supertravelmarket.com).
British visitors: 898,000
Marvellous Malta
Malta has established an accommodation hygiene standard, with regular audits. Social distancing is required at hotels, restaurants, bars and on beaches.
Pool capacity is capped at 50 per cent. Face masks are required in confined spaces.
Bag a bargain: A fortnight at the ST Bluebay Apartments on the Sliema/Gzira promenade from £471pp including Stansted flights and transfers on August 1 (maltadirect.com); A fortnight at the Grand Hotel Excelsior in Valetta from £909pp from Gatwick on August 1 (ba.com); A fortnight at the Ramla Bay Resort with Stansted flights on August 4 from £3,207 for four (onthebeach.co.uk).
British visitors: 640,000
Customers wear face masks as they wait to have breakfast inside the Nuria restaurant in Barcelona, northeastern Spain earlier this month
Will Turkey take part?
Despite talks between national officials there is a belief that Turkey will not be in the first wave of air bridges.
Nevertheless, preparations have been made, including temperature checks on arrival.
And how about restaurants and bars?
Masks will have to be worn as you enter and hand sanitiser must be applied.
Masks can come off at the table – but worn to walk to the toilet
In some restaurants, diners are handed plastic barcodes which you scan on your phone to access the menu.
Some are placing tables 1.5 metres from each other, although others don’t bother.
All waiters, waitresses and chefs will wear masks
Bars are encouraging drinkers to be served at their tables.
Those who do approach the bar must wear masks.
Masks must also be worn in supermarkets, shops and cafes.
Bag a bargain: A fortnight at Club Candan in Marmaris from £1,051pp self-catering with Gatwick flights on August 7 (firstchoice.co.uk); A fortnight at the Dalyan Resort in Dalaman from £2,608 B&B for a family of four departing from Gatwick on August 1 (ba.com); A fortnight at Villa Ebru in Kalkan from £3,655, for six, in August; flights excluded (oliverstravels.com).
British visitors: 2.5million
Belgian cheer
A key country for Eurostar services, with Brussels a major hub and many tourists travelling on to enjoy the delightful cities of Bruges and Ghent.
Hotels, restaurants and bars have reopened with social distancing. It is recommended to book tables at restaurants. Wearing face masks is mandatory on public transport.
Bag a bargain: A return journey by train to Brussels from St Pancras with a week at the Aparthotel Adagio Brussels Grand Palace from £504 for two departing August 9 (eurostar.com); A week at the four-star Augustin hotel in Brussels with flights from Glasgow on August 16 from £490pp (lastminute.com); A week’s stay at the Theatre Hotel Brussels from £325pp including Heathrow flights on August 23 (ba.com).
British visitors: 1.8million
Dutch courage
Amsterdam is back, one of Britain’s most popular short break destinations. Groups of as many as 30 people are allowed to gather in public places but a strict 1.5 metre social-distancing rule remains.
Hotels, cafes and restaurants are open. Until September 1, cannabis cafes may only provide a takeaway service. Nightclubs are also closed until then.
Bag a bargain: A return by train to Amsterdam from St Pancras with five nights at the Urban Lodge Hotel from £331pp on August 20 (eurostar.com); A week at Hotel de Hallen in Amsterdam from £402pp including Glasgow flights on August 16 (lastminute.com); Five nights at the WestCord Fashion Hotel Amsterdam from £277pp from Luton on August 6 (easyjet.com).
British visitors: 3.5million
EU risks angering Donald Trump with plan to BAN American travellers when it reopens on July 1 but welcome those from countries with lower infections rates – including China
The EU is planning to ban American travellers when it reopens on July 1, but those from countries with lower infection rates – like China – are set to be welcomed.
The decision – which still needs to be formalised in member states’ capitals – risks angering Donald Trump who has been widely criticised for his handling of the crisis.
The United States, Russia, and several other countries are considered too risky because they have not controlled the coronavirus outbreak, EU officials said Friday.
The list of safe countries was put together by senior diplomats in Brussels following discussions on how to reopen the bloc to business and tourism following lockdown.
One of the ‘safe countries’ will be China – but only if it allows European Union travellers to visit as well, the officials said.
EU officials disclosed earlier this week that the US – which has reported more coronavirus deaths and infections than any other country – was highly unlikely to make the final list.
The decision has been made despite the fact that the US is an important source of tourism for the European Union.
On the safe list are countries like Canada and Australia. The countries were judged on criteria including infection rates and the credibility of public health authorities reporting data.
The list will be updated every two weeks, which mean countries excluded at the start may be added to the safe list.
Where are the best value holidays while staying safe from coronavirus? Hit the beach in Barbados for a week for £674 or spend two weeks in an Tuscany five star hotel for £952
After more than three months in lockdown, many Britons are desperate to escape their neighbourhoods and jet off on holiday.
And the government’s shift from a two-week quarantine for those arriving in the UK to a ‘traffic light’ system showing the safest destinations will make it much easier.
The new process, earmarked for July 6, will see countries rated green, amber or red based on Covid infections, the trust in official data and their test and trace systems.
But with the bug still prevalent across the world and some nations already seeing second waves, questions are being asked over which countries are safe to visit.
Here, MailOnline looks at the how each country is coping with the crisis, what tourists can do when they get there and how much a trip could cost.
Countries across the world are highlighted in green, amber or red based on the infection levels, the reliability of official data and confidence in test and trace systems
Spain
Is coronavirus under control?
Spain has started to reopen to tourists after being one of the worst affected countries from the bug.
The country had Europe’s toughest lockdown, with children shut inside for weeks and the military on the streets to enforce it.
It took two months for the country to get its deaths back to the usual rate – on May 10 – but the country seems to be edging back to normality.
Spain has started to reopen to tourists after being one of the worst affected countries from the bug. Pictured: Benidorm
But more than 28,000 deaths have officially been reported there, with a much higher-than-average fatality rate of six per 10,000 people.
The popular holiday destination of Catalonia, which is where Barcelona is, has been one of the worse affected areas.
And this week the equally admired Costa Del Sol, where Puerto Banus and Marbella are, has suffered another outbreak of coronavirus.
Some 83 people tested positive just four days after the first British holiday makers were allowed to return.
The spike in cases is believed to have stemmed from a staff member in Malaga’s Red Cross centre, who had recently returned from the Canary Islands.
Some 79 of the 83 positive tests came from young migrants who the centre had rescued from the region’s seas – the remaining four cases were infected staff.
Are tourist activities open?
Spain officially reopened for tourism within Europe on June 21, followed by international visitors from July 1.
But when they arrive, their experience may be different what they are used to, with the country now between Phase Two and Phase Three of its lockdown lifting.
Hotels are only allowed to operate at half their usual capacity, while restaurants and cafes also have limited seating.
Cultural activities, which many visit the country specifically for, are only allowed with less than 50 people indoors and 100 people outdoors.
This includes bullfights, where one person is allowed per 9m sq, and tours are only allowed a maximum of 30 people.
Spain’s parks, such as the stunning Park Guell in Barcelona, are restricted to a tiny 20 per cent of normal capacity.
Even on the beach tourists must stay vigilant, with social distancing being enforced nationwide.
How much will it cost?
Depending on what sort of holiday Britons want to go on, the price fluctuates wildly for Spain.
For those after a cheap deal, a one way ticket to Alicante is as little as £58 with a change at Vienna.
But for a full package holiday, a return trip to the nearby Benidorm, which would usually be packed to the rafters with young Brits this time of year, can set you back around £421.
Crowds cram on to the beach during warm weather in Barcelona, Spain, on June 13
A fortnight at the Jardin del Sol Apartments on Gran Canaria from £640pp departing from Gatwick on August 8.
A fortnight for a family of four from £2,436 at Cristina Villas in Cala Millor on Majorca departing from Manchester on August 16.
A fortnight for a family of four from £2,156 at Villa La Canada, a self-catering property with a pool near Frigiliana in Andalucia with Gatwick flights on August 29.
For a full package holiday, a return trip to Benidorm, which would usually be packed to the rafters with young Brits this time of year, can set you back around £421
Greece
Is coronavirus under control?
Greece has so far reported 3,321 cases of coronavirus, including 191 deaths, a much lower number than in most western European countries.
Comparatively Britain has so far confirmed more than 300,000 cases, including more than 43,000 deaths.
Greece has so far reported 3,321 cases of coronavirus, including 191 deaths, a much lower number than in most western European countries. Pictured: Athens
But earlier this month Greece was forced to suspend all flights from Qatar after 12 passengers tested positive for coronavirus.
Qatar Airways claimed the passengers who tested positive after landing in Athens were healthy when they left Doha five hours earlier.
A dozen of the plane’s 91 passengers tested positive for the deadly virus – which has officially killed 45 people in Qatar.
Are tourist activities open?
Greece hopes to be able to set up an ‘air bridge’ with Britain that would allow UK tourists to visit from mid-July.
Britons are among the biggest national groups visiting Greece every year but flights from the UK, which has seen a high rate of Covid infections, are currently barred from Greek airports until at least June 30.
Airlines and Britons wanting to take foreign holidays are stepping up pressure on the UK government to form air bridges, where two countries agree to allow travel between them without quarantine measures.
Greece reopened its main airports in Athens and Thessaloniki to more international flights on June 15 and hopes to reopen all others on July 1, hoping to kick-start its vital tourism sector after three months in lockdown.
But it has said additional restrictions on non-essential travel from third countries may apply from July 1.
Since early May Greece has been relaxing its lockdown rules with shops, archaeological sites, restaurants, cafes, bars, leisure parks, and spas opening
The country has launched a ‘enjoy yourself, stay safe’ campaign ahead of the return of tourists, to protect both them and Greek nationals.
Since early May it has been relaxing its lockdown rules with shops, archaeological sites, restaurants, cafes, bars, leisure parks, and spas opening.
Hotels have been allowed to reopen for the last two weeks and ferries have been allowed to dock.
From July 1, cultural events will be allowed. Ferries have been running for more than a month. Face masks must be worn on public transport, in taxis and in some shops.
But there will be drastic changes for visitors to the islands, with businesses such as Corfu Cruises remaining shut due to low numbers.
Nicole Pandis from the family business told the Telegraph: ‘It’s a big change not working in the summer and we’re all worried about winter but we really don’t know if we can afford the costs of operating for just a few people to come on a tour.
‘Then if just a few people come, is it really worth the risk of opening to them at all?’
Tourism employs about 700,000 people and accounts for some 20 per cent of Greece’s economic output.
How the sector fares is significant for the country’s recovery. Greece emerged from a decade-long debt crisis two years ago.
How much will it cost?
Athens has some cheap deals for British holidaymakers this summer, with a one-way trip via a stop over starting at just £76.
And a package holiday to the historic capital city come in as cheap as £178.
A seven-night all-inclusive stay at Crete Maris Beach Resort from £3,332 for a family of four with Gatwick flights on August 7.
Athens has some cheap deals for British holidaymakers this summer, with a one-way trip via a stop over starting at just £76. And a package holiday to the historic capital city come in as cheap as £178
A fortnight-long three-star, self-catering break in Aghios Georgios in Corfu from £438pp with Luton flights on August 1.
A fortnight at upmarket Villa Penelope I, sleeping four, with a pool, from £4,691 on August 16.
Italy
Is coronavirus under control?
Italy has been battered by the coronavirus crisis, with huge numbers of deaths and infections. But it appears to be at a turning point, and has eased restrictions on its population and tourists.
The country registered 30 more deaths of people with coronavirus infections on Friday, with 16 of them in Lombardy, the northern region that continues to still have by far the highest daily tally of new confirmed cases.
Italy has been battered by the coronavirus crisis, with huge numbers of deaths and infections. Pictured: Rome
According to Health Ministry data, the nation confirmed 259 new cases since Thursday, raising to 239,961 the number of known coronavirus infections since Italy’s outbreak began in late February.
Meanwhile 28 migrants rescued from the Mediterranean Sea tested positive for coronavirus, Sicily’s governor said on Wednesday.
The positive tests represent the largest cluster yet among newly arrived migrants.
The migrants were being held on a ship off the Sicilian town of Porto Empedocle where some would-be asylum seekers are taken to undergo quarantine after being rescued at sea.
Deaths in Italy now total 34,708. Authorities say the number of overall cases and deaths is certainly higher, since many without serious symptoms didn’t get tested, and many died in nursing homes without being tested.
Are tourist activities open?
Italy reopened its borders to tourists from Europe at the start of the month, three months after they were shut as the country went into coronavirus lockdown.
Travellers from most other European countries are allowed in with no quarantine and people are allowed to move freely between regions.
Once in Italy, visitors face restrictions imposed on all Italians which include observing social distance, wearing a mask in public, and a ban on large gatherings.
Hotels, bars, restaurants, museums, campsites and even mountain huts have reopened.
Italy reopened its borders to tourists from Europe at the start of the month, three months after they were shut as the country went into coronavirus lockdown. Pictured: eople gather around a typical horse-drawn carriage decorated with flowers at Piazza di Spagna in Rome
Face masks must be worn in indoor public places, and in outdoor places where one-metre social distancing is impossible.
In Lombardy it is still mandatory to wear masks outdoors. Social distancing on beaches is 1.5 metres. Temperature checks may be requested.
Italy, like many other European countries, is desperately trying to revive its tourism industry in time for the lucrative summer season.
Some areas are offering discounted air fares and extra nights in hotels to try to make up for lost earnings over the past few months.
For visitors things are steadily starting to return to normal. The Piazza San Marco in Venice has people wandering around admiring the architecture, and the Doge’s Palace saw 1,000 tickets sold on its reopening day two weeks ago.
Similarly gondolas are once again meandering their way through the canal system and cafes and shops have reopened for business.
The tourism industry makes up 15 per cent of the workforce and 13 per cent of GDP, so is of high value to the economy.
How much will it cost?
A quick trip to the Lombardy city of Milan would set one person back as little as £30, while a package holiday in Rome would be about £399. A fortnight at the four-star Grand Hotel Francia e Quirinale in Tuscany is from £952pp.
A week at TUI BLUE Nastro Azzurro in Piano di Sorrento is from £1,076pp all-inclusive on August 24.
A quick trip to the Lombardy city of Milan would set one person back as little as £30, while a package holiday in Rome (pictured) would be about £399
Barbados
Is coronavirus under control?
The popular holiday island of Barbados in the Caribbean has been well sheltered from the coronavirus. There have been just seven deaths attributed to the killer bug, with 97 infections and 90 people having recovered.
Daily cases spiked at 11 on April 1, but have plummeted to just one as of June 15.
It would be a reasonably safe destination for Britons to jet to and is labelled as green on the government’s new travel traffic light system.
The country had a curfew in place from 8am to 5pm which was lifted on May 31, with the authorities also limiting beach hours from 6am to 9am and 4pm to 6.30pm from May 18.
Are tourist activities open?
The island is expecting visitors mainly from next month, and ahead of their arrival the minister for tourism has pledged to upgrade a number of sites.
St Lawrence Gap, Oistins, Holetown, Bridgetown and Baxter’s Road are all going to get a makeover, Kerrie Symmonds said yesterday.
He told Barbados Today: ‘We need to recognize that as we reenter the global business of tourism we have to do so in a way in which we are selling Barbados to not only Barbadians but to the rest of the world as being an area which is considerably more upbeat and lively.
‘St Lawrence Gap is one such example and so as recently as yesterday Cabinet would have approved a paper which allows us now to focus on the refurbishment in many ways of St Lawrence Gap, the improvement of the product in the Gap and dealing with some of the issues relating to cleanliness, safety, that we’ve kicked down the road for a long time and never properly confronted.’
Prime Minister Mia Mottley added that she will be launching a new tourism brand for the island to attract even more visitors.
How much will it cost?
A one-way ticket to Barbados, which many Brits may dream of, will set you back around £234, while a package holiday costs from £674.
A one-way ticket to Barbados, which many Brits may dream of, will set you back around £234, while a package holiday costs from £674
France
Is coronavirus under control?
France said it had the coronavirus outbreak ‘under control’ at the start of the month as the country cautiously lifted its lockdown measures.
It has reported 29,752 coronavirus deaths since the outbreak began making it the third worst-hit country in Europe after the UK and Italy.
But the number of daily deaths has dropped dramatically in recent weeks and the number of new cases also dropped significantly to a few hundred per day.
France had one of mainland Europe’s toughest responses to coronavirus with stay-at-home orders and business closures issued.
Expect strict social distancing in restaurants, bars, markets and stores, where shopkeepers reserve the right to demand customers wear face masks.
Gatherings of more than ten people in public are banned. Nightclubs, like in the UK, remain closed.
The lockdown was partially lifted last month when hair salons, clothes shops, florists and bookshops were permitted to open again.
Restaurants, theatres, gyms, swimming pools, beaches and museums were allowed to reopen on June 2.
How much will it cost?
A fortnight at a cottage for four in Brittany from £1,200 in August including Portsmouth-St Malo ferry crossing with car.
A fortnight at a four-star beachfront hotel in Cannes with flights and transfers departing from Gatwick in August from £1,400pp.
A week at a villa sleeping six on the Aigues Mortes Marina in Languedoc Roussillon from £950, excluding flights.
