Brits will finally enjoy holidays in exotic destinations including Caribbean islands in less than two months' time, it is today claimed.
Boris Johnson is understood to open up travel to countries with the best vaccination rates from May 17 and these include Dubai, Antigua and Barbuda and Barbados.
The Prime Minister will unveil these plans on Monday in a huge boost for the travel industry, it is reported.
“This is the news that will firmly kick-start recovery in the travel sector and boost confidence; the vaccine is there to enable us to get back to some form of normality," Paul Charles, chief executive of the PC Agency, a travel company, said.
A woman shops at a market in Antigua (Image: Getty Images)“This is the news that will firmly kick-start recovery in the travel sector and boost confidence; the vaccine is there to enable us to get back to some form of normality. This guidance will not only bring back US tourists to the UK this summer but also open up travel faster from the UK to the US and beyond.”
But travel to countries in Europe, such as France and Spain, will be delayed further due to the third wave of the virus across the continent. It is feared these nations won't get the green light until July or August.
The Times reports Brits will first be allowed to visit most of the Caribbean and other destinations, such as Gibraltar, Israel, the Seychelles, Dubai, Malta, the Maldives and Singapore.
The Grand Cayman coastline boasts clear aqua water and beautiful sand beaches (Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)Speculation has also mounted that the US, which bans all UK and European citizens, could also be reopened to people who have been vaccinated.
At present all non-essential overseas travel is banned, with the threat of £5,000 fines for those who ignore the rules in England.
And other parts of the travel sector remain sceptical.
The UK government is expected to open travel to Bermuda (Image: Getty Images/Westend61) Brits could be relaxing on beaches soon (Image: Getty Images)One airline industry source told The Times: “There’s a big concern that high-volume markets will be left out initially so the destinations that open up first aren’t the ones that are going to get travel businesses through the summer.
"Talk of the Caribbean, Singapore or New York is OK but we need to be seeing the high-demand European destinations.”
A task force led by Grant Shapps, the transport secretary, has been analysing the potential for reopening international travel. It will advocate a “traffic light system” which will ban travel to “red” countries while mandating a combination of pre-travel testing and quarantine for people travelling from “amber” nations.
Passengers arriving in the UK have had to quarantine (Image: PA)Quarantine-free travel will only be possible to “green” countries, although travellers will still be expected to provide a negative test up to 72 hours before boarding flights to the UK.
It is believed the government will update its traffic light system each week, but will provide seven days’ warning of any new restrictions.
The transport department has said: “We are committed to restarting cruise travel when it is safe to do so, and we are working closely with the sector to prepare for a safe and successful restart.”