Greece and Spain along with other countries in the EU are opening their borders for Brits who are vaccinated and or must provide a negative test.
By the end of May the Spanish authorities have said “vaccine passports” could be rolled out to welcome holidaymakers back.
On Wednesday Maria Reyes Maroto, the Minister of Tourism said Spain “could be in a position to start implementing the digital passport in May.”
But Maroto said the vaccine passports will depend on how many people have been vaccinated across Spain.
On Tuesday the Greek Tourism Minister, Harry Theocharis said his country will open up to tourists who have been vaccinated, have antibodies or can provide a negative test.
Theocharis said that demand for British holidaymakers is already “picking up because there’s a lot more optimism with the way the vaccination programme is progressing.”
Brits have jumped online to book holidays after hearing the news that Spain and Greece will allow tourists from May.
However, the Transport Secretary Grant Shapps is urging Brits to show restraint, as the 17 May date to reopen travel is the “earliest date.”
Shapps was asked is it still too early to book holidays, he told the BBC’s Today programme, “Yes, in as much as we know that the Global Travel Taskforce that I’m running reports on 12 April.
“We’ve said that it will remain illegal to travel internationally til at least 17 May. That’s an ‘at the earliest’ date.”
Shapps told Times Radio that there is no “cast iron guarantees” people will be able to travel abroad this summers.
He said, “We know you won’t be able to travel until May 17. I would say that it makes sense to see how the course of the pandemic unlock proceeds.
“I am hopeful but, as with everything to do with this virus, you can’t say for certain.
“There are a lot of issues that we need to work around but I am working with international partners, both governments and organisations, to try to make it happen. We can’t provide cast iron guarantees on it.”
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