Beautiful Virgin Islands

Monday, Aug 04, 2025

Britons can finally travel but no one knows where to!

Britons can finally travel but no one knows where to!

After enduring months of lockdown, travel restrictions and unseasonably bad weather, people in the UK were finally given permission to head overseas for a vacation this week. It prompted an online rush to find flights, hotel rooms and sunshine.

But many would-be travelers faced a very significant problem: They didn't know exactly where they were allowed to go.

As the first people began checking in to their flights at the country's main airports, not even members of UK government seemed to be exactly sure of the situation.

At the heart of the confusion is a supposedly simple "traffic light" system that ranks destinations according to Covid-19 risk. Those designated red are no-go. Amber countries are sort of no-go. Green countries are OK, but only if they're open.

Add to that an extremely costly regime of testing, reams of paperwork and quarantine rules that differ depending on the category -- plus a passport control system that has come under fire for riskily mixing red and green country arrivals.

Travelers and those in the travel industry are resigned to more weeks of uncertainty as they try to make sense of the new rules.

It's all "very confusing," says Reigo Eljas, trading director of travel booking website LastMinute.com.

To travel or not to travel, that is the UK question


Under the traffic light system, 12 countries and territories are currently open to Brits without the need to quarantine on return. Of these, the only traditional mass tourism destinations where vaccinated or tested UK residents can easily visit are Portugal, Iceland, Gibraltar and the Faroe Islands.

Australia, New Zealand and Singapore make the UK's green list, but they aren't welcoming British residents currently. Meanwhile, Israel; Brunei; the Falkland Islands; South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands; St. Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha aren't exactly vacation hotspots right now.

Most of Europe's top destinations, including France, Greece, Italy and Spain, currently sit on the amber list. In theory, Brits can go there so long as they're prepared to quarantine on their return.

Or not.

On May 17, as the travel restrictions were lifted, UK Environment Secretary George Eustice told the BBC that people were now free to travel to amber countries "either to visit family or indeed to visit friends."

But hours later, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson slammed the brakes on. An amber country, said Johnson, was "not somewhere where you should be going on holiday, let me be very clear about that." He added that people should only travel to an amber destination for "some pressing family or urgent business reason."

Government officials, including Transport Secretary Grant Shapps, have added further confusion by urging British residents to consider avoiding even green destinations because of growing fears about the risk from the Covid variant first identified in India. It is advice recently echoed by the World Health Organization.

While the government has promised to regularly review the traffic light list, there are no certainties. And with the school summer holidays just weeks away, some travelers are either confused by, willing to gamble on or simply prepared to ignore the prime minister's exhortations.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
OpenAI’s Bold Bet: Teaching AI to Think, Not Just Chat
Tesla Seeks Shareholder Approval for $29 Billion Compensation Package for Elon Musk
Nvidia is cutting prices on its RTX 50-series graphics cards after sales slowed and inventories piled up
Ghislaine Maxwell Transferred to Minimum-Security Prison Amid Ongoing DOJ Discussions
U.S. Tariffs Surge to Highest Levels in Nearly a Century Under Second Trump Term
Matt Taibbi Slams Media for Role in Russiagate Narrative
Pilots Call for Mental Health Support Without Stigma
All Five Trapped Miners Found Dead After El Teniente Mine Collapse
Ong Beng Seng Pleads Guilty in Corruption Case Linked to Former Singapore Transport Minister
BP’s Largest Oil and Gas Find in 25 Years Uncovered Offshore Brazil
Italy Fines Shein One Million Euros for Misleading Sustainability Claims
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
Declassified Annex Links Soros‑Affiliated Officials and Clinton Campaign to ‘Russiagate’ Narrative
UK's Online Safety Law: A Front for Censorship
Nationwide Protests Erupt in Brazil Demanding Presidential Resignation
Parents Abandon Child at Barcelona Airport Over Passport Issue
Mystery Surrounds Death of Brazilian Woman with iPhones Glued to Her Body
Bus Driver Discovers Toddler Hidden in Suitcase in New Zealand
Switzerland Celebrates 734 Years of Independence Amid Global Changes
U.S. Opens Official Investigation into Former Trump Prosecutor Jack Smith
Leaked audio of Canada's new PM Mark Carney admitting the truth about the Net Zero agenda: "We're gonna make a lot of money off of this."
China Enforces Comprehensive Ban on Cryptocurrency Activities
Absolutely 100% Realistic EVO Series Doll by EXDOLL (Chinese Company) used mainly for carnal purposes
World Economic Forum founder Klaus Schwab: "In this new world, we must accept... total transparency. You have to get used to it. You have to behave accordingly. But if you have nothing to hide, you shouldn't be afraid."
Meet Mufti Hamid Patel, head of Office for Standards in Education in Pakistan
George Soros tells the World Economic Forum: "President Trump is a con man and the ultimate narcissist, who wants the world to revolve around him."
Hamas are STARVING the hostages.
Decline in Tourism in Majorca Amidst Ongoing Anti-Tourism Protests
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
Poland Begins Excavation at Dziemiany After New Clue to World War II‑Era Nazi Treasure
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Threatens Canada with Tariffs Over Palestinian State Recognition
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Trump Sues Murdoch in “Heavyweight Bout”: Lawsuit Over Alleged Epstein Letter Sets Stage for Courtroom Showdown
Germany Enters Fiscal Crisis as Cabinet Approves €174 Billion in New Debt
Trump Administration Finalizes Broad Tariff Increases on Global Trade Partners
J.K. Rowling Limits Public Engagements Citing Safety Fears
JD.com Launches €2.2 Billion Bid for German Electronics Retailer Ceconomy
Azerbaijan Proceeds with Plan to Legalise Casinos on Artificial Islands
Former Judge Charged After Drunk Driving Crash Kills Comedian in Brazil
Jeff Bezos hasn’t paid a dollar in taxes for decades. He makes billions and pays $0 in taxes, LEGALLY
China Increases Use of Exit Bans Amid Rising U.S. Tensions
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Procter & Gamble to Raise U.S. Prices to Offset One‑Billion‑Dollar Tariff Cost
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
Botswana Seeks Controlling Stake in De Beers as Anglo American Prepares Exit
Trump Administration Proposes Repeal of Obama‑Era Endangerment Finding, Dismantling Regulatory Basis for CO₂ Emissions Limits
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
A family has been arrested in the UK for displaying the British flag
Mel Gibson refuses to work with Robert De Niro, saying, "Keep that woke clown away from me."
×