London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Jul 04, 2026

British tourists NOT WELCOME in mainland Europe amid coronavirus crisis, new report suggests

British tourists NOT WELCOME in mainland Europe amid coronavirus crisis, new report suggests

The Covid-19 pandemic has left people in Germany, Italy, Spain and France more likely to oppose British holidaymakers visiting without self-isolating than they would tourists from any other European nation, new research has found.

A survey published by UK market research company YouGov showed that mainland Europeans’ biggest concerns were with Britons coming over to holiday in their countries without some form of quarantine.

The poll, which spoke to citizens in ten countries on the UK's air bridge quarantine-exemptions list, found that 61 percent of Spaniards were against British tourists visiting, compared to 40-54 percent who opposed holidaymakers from a number of other European nations.


People surveyed in Germany (58 percent), France (55 percent) and Italy (44 percent) also put British holidaymakers at the top of their European ‘unwanted’ list, with only China and the US faring worse overall.


However, the poll also revealed that Britons are not so enthusiastic about welcoming tourists from other countries either, due to fears provoked by the deadly coronavirus. The majority in each case was opposed to people from other nations visiting the UK.


From Friday, British tourists can head to 74 countries on holiday without having to quarantine on their return to the UK. However, fears amongst citizens about the impact of tourism – borne out in YouGov’s poll – may escalate, with reports of Covid-19 flare-ups already being reported in a number of countries in the last few weeks.

Most recently, more than 100 new cases of Covid-19 have been reported in Greece from incoming tourists since the country reopened its borders on July 1. The country has managed to keep incidents (3,622) and deaths (193) at a relatively low rate.

According to local media, 33 new cases of the virus were reported on Tuesday – 21 of which were recorded in international tourists – despite daily cases declining to an average of 13 in June.

Fresh outbreaks have already been reported in Spain, with two regions being forced back into lockdown, and Germany, where 650 cases were confirmed at a meat factory last month.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
UK Government Consults International Partners on Maritime Trade Security and Energy Market Stability
Rare Revolutionary-Era Documents Discovered by UK Archives and Undergoing Authentication
UK Consumer Confidence Remains Deep in Negative Territory as Household Spending Stays Cautious
Transport for London Warns of Severe Disruption as Major Events Converge in Central London
NHS and Social Care Sectors Face Ongoing Recruitment Shortages Amid Persistent Workforce Gaps
Rising Energy Costs Drive Price Pressures Across UK Retail and Service Sectors
Competition and Markets Authority Expands Review of Artificial Intelligence Impact on UK Media Markets
UK Parliamentary Committees Intensify Scrutiny of National Security and Industrial Policy Legislation
Bank of England Faces Persistent Inflation Pressure as Rate Cut Expectations Fade
UK Public Finances Under Pressure as Borrowing Exceeds Forecast and Debt Nears 95% of GDP
Major Police Deployment Across Central London as Mass Demonstrations and Pride Parade Converge
Large-Scale Police Dispersal Powers Activated in Liverpool Ahead of Anti-Immigration Protests and Counter-Demonstrations
Luxury bags take over the World Cup: style, status symbol, or just showing off?
National Productivity Institute Highlights Weak Business Investment Outside Southern England
UK High Court Orders Reassessment of Environmental Impact in Major Highway Project
UK Cyber Security Centre Warns of Rising Threat From State-Sponsored Digital Espionage
UK Education Secretary Launches National Reform of Apprenticeships and Vocational Training
Financial Conduct Authority Tightens Climate Risk Disclosure Requirements for Listed Firms
Rail Union Suspends Planned Strike Action to Enter Formal Negotiations With Operators
Northern Ireland Businesses Seek Clarity Over Post-Brexit Trade Rules
Welsh Government Launches Regional Growth Plan Targeting Transport and Digital Infrastructure
North Sea Wind Sector Attracts £5 Billion Investment Amid Expansion of Offshore Capacity
Scotland and UK Governments Establish New Framework for Coordinated Investment in Energy and Infrastructure
UK Government Launches Major Immigration and Border Policy Overhaul Review
Bank of England Signals Interest Rates to Remain Elevated Despite Easing Inflation Pressures
National Health Service Warns of Severe Winter Capacity Strain Across Hospital Trusts
Chancellor Orders Urgent Treasury Review Amid Concerns Over Structural Public Finance Gap
Prime Minister Unveils Sweeping Legislative Programme Focused on Housing, Health Service Reform and State Energy Plan
UK Parliamentary Committee Launches Inquiry Into Falling Primary School Rolls and Public Service Impact
UK House of Lords Debates Electoral Commission Powers and Political Finance Reform
UK Parliament Considers Expanding Carbon Rules to International Aviation and Shipping Emissions
UK Traffic Commissioner Revokes Hampshire Haulage Operator Licence Over Regulatory Failures
UK Parliament Examines Risks in Public Contracts Awarded to Technology Firm Palantir
UK Competition Watchdog Moves Toward More Flexible Merger Rules to Support Efficiency and Growth
UK Government Seeks Approval for £1.15 Trillion Public Spending Plan Amid Scrutiny Over Department Budgets
UK Parliament Debates Sweeping National Security and Steel Industry Nationalisation Bills
UK Government Issues Formal Apology for Historic Forced Adoption Practices and Announces £4 Million Support Scheme
UK DEFENCE AND TECHNOLOGY STRATEGY TILTS TOWARD SOVEREIGN CAPABILITY AND INDUSTRIAL INVESTMENT
UK ECONOMIC POLICY OUTLOOK SHAPED BY LEADERSHIP TRANSITION AND FISCAL SIGNALS
STERLING STRENGTHENS AMID SHIFTING MONETARY OUTLOOK AND GLOBAL LABOUR MARKET SIGNALS
UK HPV VACCINATION PROGRAM NEARLY ELIMINATES CERVICAL CANCER DEATH RISK IN YOUNG WOMEN
UK EXPANDS PRISON SAFETY REVIEW AS GOVERNMENT SEEKS WIDER SYSTEM REFORM
UK DRIVES DIGITAL ASSETS STRATEGY WITH NEW STABLECOIN REGULATORY MODEL
UK TO EXPAND AI INFRASTRUCTURE THROUGH NEW EUROPEAN TECHNOLOGY PARTNERSHIP
UK LAUNCHES £15 BILLION DEFENCE TECH SHIFT TOWARD ADVANCED MILITARY SYSTEMS
CIVIL SERVICE FACES SHIFT IN POWER STRUCTURE AS REGIONAL GOVERNANCE PLANS EXPAND
WHITEHALL CONSIDERS MAJOR DECENTRALISATION PLAN WITH SECOND GOVERNMENT HUB IN MANCHESTER
UK TARGETS SERVICES EXPORT GROWTH IN TRADE TALKS WITH CHINA AMID GEOPOLITICAL TENSIONS
POLICE WATCHDOG PROBES OFFICERS OVER HANDCUFFING OF DYING TEENAGER IN HAMPSHIRE CASE
UK REGULATORS UNVEIL DUAL OVERSIGHT FRAMEWORK FOR STABLECOINS AND DIGITAL ASSETS
×