North East travel industry reacts to Government's changes to travel restrictions

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has confirmed Malta, Madeira, the Balearic Islands, several UK Overseas Territories and Caribbean Islands (including Barbados) will be added to the Government's green list from 4am on Wednesday June 30.

Chris Adamson is from Harrogate but works in Mallorca. He owns a charter boat business and says the news has come at a great time for all those living and working on the island.

  • Chris Adamson, owner of Mezzo Magic boat chartering in Mallorca

The travel industry, including pilots, cabin crew and travel agents, held a day of action on Wednesday, demonstrating outside Parliament in a call to reopen the sector and provide more support for businesses.

  • Nick Coulthard, travel agent at Gazelle Travel in Durham

The full list of countries that will be on the green list from 4am 30 June:

  • Anguilla

  • Antigua and Barbuda

  • Barbados

  • Bermuda

  • British Virgin Islands

  • Cayman Islands

  • Dominica

  • Grenada

  • Ibiza

  • Madeira

  • Mallorca

  • Malta

  • Menorca

  • Montserrat

  • Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie and Oeno Islands

  • Turks and Caicos Islands

Double vaccines

In addition to the green list announcement, the Government says it will look at reviewing how people who are fully vaccinated can travel later this summer - with the intention of scrapping quarantine for those who are double jabbed.

The Department for Transport said, "In recognition of our successful domestic vaccination programme, and as part of the Global Travel Taskforce's checkpoint review, our intention is that later in the summer, arrivals who are fully vaccinated will not have to quarantine when travelling from amber list countries.

"We expect this to occur in phases, starting with UK residents. They will still be required to take a pre-departure test and a test on Day 2, and any positive results will be sequenced to continue to manage the risk of importing variants.

"At the same time, we intend to remove the guidance that people should not travel to amber countries. Pending decisions on whether under-18s should routinely be offered vaccination, we will also take clinical advice on whether regular testing can provide a safe alternative to quarantine for children accompanied by vaccinated adults.

"Further detail will be set out next month including the rules which will apply to children and those unable to be vaccinated, how we will operationalise this approach at the border, and the dates on which these changes will come into effect."

Boris Johnson did warn 'this summer for travel purposes isn't going to be like any other summer'

Meanwhile, German Chancellor Angela Merkel has called for all European Union (EU) countries to impose quarantine on UK travellers, over fears of the Delta variant.

She said ahead of Thursday’s summit with EU leaders: “In our country, if you come from Great Britain, you have to go into quarantine – and that’s not the case in every European country, and that’s what I would like to see.”

However, it is thought many EU countries whose economies profit greatly from British tourism will not back her proposal.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said earlier this week the government is “working on” plans to allow quarantine-free travel for fully vaccinated Britons returning from amber countries. Unvaccinated children are also understood to be included in the plans.

ITV News understands a final decision on these plans will be made on Monday.

In an interview with ITV News on Wednesday, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps indicated he had accepted, in principle, that people who have been fully vaccinated will be allowed to go abroad without having to quarantine on their return.

"Of course, double vaccination is the whole point. That's why we're in this game," he said.