London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Sunday, Oct 19, 2025

Covid-19: Too early to book a foreign holiday, Grant Shapps says

Covid-19: Too early to book a foreign holiday, Grant Shapps says

It is still too early to book foreign summer holidays, the transport secretary has said, despite countries saying they hope to welcome vaccinated British tourists from May.

Grant Shapps said there were "lots of questions" to answer about "how safe it will be in June to travel".

People in England could be allowed to go on holiday abroad from 17 May at the earliest, according to current plans.

A Greek minister said his country hoped to welcome visitors from mid-May.

Cyprus and Portugal are also among the countries keen to welcome UK visitors.

Under the current rules, foreign travel from the UK is banned apart from for exceptional reasons.

While 17 May has been marked as the date that rule could change - the decision is subject to a review closer to the time.

According to the latest figures, another 190 people have died in the UK within 28 days of a positive coronavirus test, and a further 5,926 positive cases have been reported.

Asked on BBC Radio 4's Today programme whether it was too early to book a summer holiday, Mr Shapps said: "Yes."

He added: "We have said it will remain illegal to travel internationally until at least 17 May - that's an at-the-earliest date."

Mr Shapps said people should look towards 12 April, when he would publish a global travel taskforce report, and said the government was weighing up not only the "extraordinary" UK vaccination rollout but also other countries' vaccine programmes.

"So there are lots of questions, the answer to which we simply don't know yet, about how safe it will be in June to travel around," he said.

Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have not set a date for the start of international travel.

Once travel is allowed again, the success of the UK vaccination programme is likely to make British holidaymakers attractive to countries looking to rebuild their tourism sectors, which have been badly hit by the pandemic.

Greece tourism minister Haris Theoharis said his country hoped to welcome foreign tourists from 14 May, during an appearance at a travel trade show.

He said: "Regarding 2021, in Greece we are more than optimistic."

Visitors will be required to have been vaccinated, have had a recent negative Covid-19 test or have coronavirus antibodies, he said.

A pilot reopening of borders is likely to take place next month, he added.

Last week, Cyprus and Portugal said they hoped to welcome vaccinated British tourists from May, and Spain has already said it will not restrict the right of entry to travellers who have been inoculated.

Many countries are working on their plans to allow tourists and it is not yet clear if there will be some form of international vaccine passport or certificate.

Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove is leading a UK government review of the issue.

Greece and Cyprus have agreed to admit Israeli tourists who can prove their Covid status via Israel's "green" digital certificate.

Israel is leading the world in terms of vaccinations, with 101.1 doses given per 100 people.

Domestic cruises in the UK could resume from 17 May, according to the maritime minister Robert Courts, while UK holiday firms reported a surge in bookings following the announcement of the government roadmap back in February.

What are your rights if you book a holiday?


Most accommodation and holiday providers have offered flexible booking policies for future trips, to boost confidence, and the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has suggested people should usually get their money back if coronavirus restrictions ruin holiday plans.

If a business cancels a booking or cannot provide a service due to lockdown laws then consumers should receive a full refund under most circumstances, the CMA said.

The watchdog added that customers should not face "disproportionately high" charges if they cancel a trip due to government guidance.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Windows’ Own ‘Siri’ Has Arrived: You Can Now Talk to Your Computer
Thailand and Singapore Investigate Cambodian-Based Prince Group as U.S. and U.K. Sanctions Unfold
‘No Kings’ Protests Inflate Numbers — But History Shows Nations Collapse Without Strong Executive Power
Chinese Tech Giants Halt Stablecoin Launches After Beijing’s Regulatory Intervention
Manhattan Jury Holds BNP Paribas Liable for Enabling Sudanese Government Abuses
Trump Orders Immediate Release of Former Congressman George Santos After Commuting Prison Sentence
S&P Downgrades France’s Credit Rating, Citing Soaring Debt and Political Instability
Ofcom Rules BBC’s Gaza Documentary ‘Materially Misleading’ Over Narrator’s Hamas Ties
Diane Keaton’s Cause of Death Revealed as Pneumonia, Family Confirms
Former Lostprophets Frontman Ian Watkins Stabbed to Death in British Prison
"The Tsunami Is Coming, and It’s Massive": The World’s Richest Man Unveils a New AI Vision
Outsider, Heroine, Trailblazer: Diane Keaton Was Always a Little Strange — and Forever One of a Kind
Dramatic Development in the Death of 'Mango' Founder: Billionaire's Son Suspected of Murder
Two Years of Darkness: The Harrowing Testimonies of Israeli Hostages Emerging From Gaza Captivity
EU Moves to Use Frozen Russian Assets to Buy U.S. Weapons for Ukraine
Europe Emerges as the Biggest Casualty in U.S.-China Rare Earth Rivalry
HSBC Confronts Strategic Crossroads as NAB Seeks Only Retail Arm in Australia Exit
U.S. Chamber Sues Trump Over $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee
Shenzhen Expo Spotlights China’s Quantum Step in Semiconductor Self-Reliance
China Accelerates to the Forefront in Global Nuclear Fusion Race
Yachts, Private Jets, and a Picasso Painting: Exposed as 'One of the Largest Frauds in History'
Australia’s Wedgetail Spies Aid NATO Response as Russian MiGs Breach Estonian Airspace
McGowan Urges Chalmers to Cut Spending Over Tax Hike to Close $20 Billion Budget Gap
Victoria Orders Review of Transgender Prison Placement Amid Safety Concerns for Female Inmates
U.S. Treasury Mobilises New $20 Billion Debt Facility to Stabilise Argentina
French Business Leaders Decry Budget as Macron’s Pro-Enterprise Promise Undermined
Trump Claims Modi Pledged India Would End Russian Oil Imports Amid U.S. Tariff Pressure
Surging AI Startup Valuations Fuel Bubble Concerns Among Top Investors
Australian Punter Archie Wilson Tears Up During Nebraska Press Conference, Sparking Conversation on Male Vulnerability
Australia Confirms U.S. Access to Upgraded Submarine Shipyard Under AUKUS Deal
“Firepower” Promised for Ukraine as NATO Ministers Meet — But U.S. Tomahawks Remain Undecided
Brands Confront New Dilemma as Extremists Adopt Fashion Labels
The Sydney Sweeney and Jeans Storm: “The Outcome Surpassed Our Wildest Dreams”
Erika Kirk Delivers Moving Tribute at White House as Trump Awards Charlie Presidential Medal of Freedom
British Food Influencer ‘Big John’ Detained in Australia After Visa Dispute
ScamBodia: The Chinese Fraud Empire Shielded by Cambodia’s Ruling Elite
French PM Suspends Macron’s Pension Reform Until After 2027 in Bid to Stabilize Government
Orange, Bouygues and Free Make €17 Billion Bid for Drahi’s Altice France Telecom Assets
Dutch Government Seizes Chipmaker After U.S. Presses for Removal of Chinese CEO
Bessent Accuses China of Dragging Down Global Economy Amid New Trade Curbs
U.S. Revokes Visas of Foreign Nationals Who ‘Celebrated’ Charlie Kirk’s Assassination
AI and Cybersecurity at Forefront as GITEX Global 2025 Kicks Off in Dubai
DJI Loses Appeal to Remove Pentagon’s ‘Chinese Military Company’ Label
EU Deploys New Biometric Entry/Exit System: What Non-EU Travelers Must Know
Australian Prime Minister’s Private Number Exposed Through AI Contact Scraper
Ex-Microsoft Engineer Confirms Famous Windows XP Key Was Leaked Corporate License, Not a Hack
China’s lesson for the US: it takes more than chips to win the AI race
Australia Faces Demographic Risk as Fertility Falls to Record Low
California County Reinstates Mask Mandate in Health Facilities as Respiratory Illness Risk Rises
Israel and Hamas Agree to First Phase of Trump-Brokered Gaza Truce, Hostages to Be Freed
×