Britons are finally allowed to travel again, but the destination options remain unclear

After months of lockdowns, travel bans, and unusually poor weather, UK residents were given the green light to take vacations abroad this week. This led to a frantic search for flights, hotel bookings, and a bit of sunshine.

However, many eager travelers encountered a major hurdle: they had no idea which countries they were actually permitted to visit.

As the first passengers began to check in at major UK airports, even government officials seemed uncertain about the travel rules.

The source of the confusion lies in the so-called 'traffic light' system, which categorizes destinations based on their Covid-19 risk. Red countries are off-limits, amber ones are partially restricted, and green countries are okay to visit—if they're open for tourists.

On top of that, travelers are faced with expensive testing requirements, mountains of paperwork, and quarantine rules that vary by category—along with a passport control system that has drawn criticism for dangerously mixing arrivals from red and green-listed countries.

Both travelers and the travel industry are bracing for more weeks of confusion as they try to make sense of the ever-changing rules.

'It’s all incredibly confusing,' says Reigo Eljas, trading director at the travel booking platform LastMinute.com.

To travel or not to travel: That is the dilemma facing the UK.

Under the traffic light system, 12 countries and territories are currently open to UK travelers without the need for quarantine upon their return. Among them, the only major tourist destinations where vaccinated or tested UK residents can easily visit are Portugal, Iceland, Gibraltar, and the Faroe Islands.

Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore are on the UK’s green list, but they’re not currently accepting British travelers. Meanwhile, places like Israel, Brunei, the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, and St. Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha are hardly top vacation choices right now.

Most of Europe’s top holiday spots, including France, Greece, Italy, and Spain, are currently on the amber list. In theory, Brits can visit, but they must be ready to quarantine when they return.

Or perhaps not.

On May 17, as travel restrictions were eased, UK Environment Secretary George Eustice informed the BBC that people were now allowed to travel to amber countries 'either to visit family or indeed to visit friends.'

However, just hours later, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson hit the brakes, stating that amber countries were 'not places you should be going on holiday' and clarified that travel should only occur for 'pressing family or urgent business reasons.'

Further adding to the confusion, government officials, including Transport Secretary Grant Shapps, have advised UK residents to reconsider even green destinations due to growing concerns over the Covid variant first detected in India. This advice has been recently echoed by the World Health Organization.

While the government has pledged to review the traffic light list regularly, there are no guarantees. With the summer holidays just around the corner, some travelers are either confused, willing to take risks, or simply ignoring the Prime Minister’s warnings.

Reigo Eljas from LastMinute.com reports that while Portugal remains the top choice for UK travelers, the company is also seeing an uptick in bookings for amber-listed destinations.

'People who are booking these trips are making a deliberate choice,' says Eljas. 'They're saying, ‘I want to holiday in Spain, I'm willing to quarantine on the way back and pay for the testing.’ As long as they’re following the rules, we don’t see an issue.'

As of May 17, it is not illegal to travel to amber-listed countries. This is why travel agencies continue to offer vacations to these destinations, and why customers seeking to cancel their amber-listed trips may face challenges.

'The government made it clear that once they lifted the legally restrictive measures, it was no longer illegal to go on holiday,' says Eljas. 'If the government wanted to restrict travel to amber destinations, they should have made it clear that it would still be illegal.'

Sara Roberts, from Kent, is among those taking a gamble on an amber-listed destination, booking a family trip to Spain for September. She’s hoping that by then, Spain will be moved to the green list.

Roberts also hopes that the testing requirements—currently costing travelers potentially hundreds of dollars per person, even for green destinations—might be relaxed or at least become more affordable by then.

'If Covid tests remain expensive, the cost of the holiday for our family of five would be unaffordable,' says Roberts to Dinogo Travel, pointing out that the testing fees could exceed the total price of their accommodation.

'We’re hoping that costs and restrictions will ease,' adds Roberts.

Even if Spain is moved to the green list, Roberts acknowledges there’s still a risk. The country could shift back to amber while they’re away. The government has said it will track at-risk countries on a 'watch list,' but similar changes in 2020 took many UK travelers to Spain and Greece by surprise.

While Roberts and her husband are both retired, making quarantine manageable, their adult daughters work for the NHS and would not be able to work from home.

Reconnecting with family

Expectant mother Sabine Tyldesley, originally from Germany and living in the UK for nearly a decade, hasn’t seen her mother since the start of the UK’s first lockdown. She plans to visit her in Germany this August, even if the country remains on the amber list.

'I have a small window during my pregnancy when it’s still safe for me to fly,' Tyldesley tells Dinogo Travel. 'It would be lovely to see her before there’s a new family member for her to meet.'

The ambiguity of the rules means Tyldesley isn’t sure if seeing her mother before the baby arrives qualifies as a valid reason to travel to an amber-listed country. It's not an emergency or urgent, but it's emotionally significant.

Tyldesley explains that the uncertainty, and the pressure of having to make the decision herself, is stressful. She says she’d almost prefer it if the government outright banned travel.

'Of course, I’d be devastated if someone suddenly told me I couldn’t travel to any amber list countries, Germany included, but at least there would be some clarity,' Tyldesley adds.

Tyldesley, still awaiting full vaccination, is mindful of the health risks involved in traveling.

'Of course, I don’t want to put anyone at risk. I want to do what’s right,' she says. 'I intend to follow the rules, and if testing is required, then that’s crucial.'

European Perspective

For those working in the travel industry in amber-listed destinations that depend heavily on UK tourists, the situation is just as complicated. Many had hoped for early summer arrivals to offset losses from last year’s Covid-impacted peak season.

'I used to have a lot of British guests,' says Veronica Grechi, owner of the boutique BnB Velona’s Jungle in Florence, Italy, which remains on the amber list.

Grechi remembers reading about the UK’s vaccination rollout in December 2020 and feeling optimistic about what the year would bring.

'Once they’re vaccinated, they’ll come right away,' she recalls thinking at the time.

Although Grechi wishes Italy were on the UK’s green list, especially since travel to the country is now allowed from other nations, she understands why it remains on the amber list and why travel restrictions have been enforced globally.

This season, Grechi has been relying on visitors from within Italy, as well as occasional tourists from Germany and the United States. With the EU recently announcing plans to welcome vaccinated travelers, she’s hopeful for more visitors soon and still holds out hope that British tourists will return before too long.

'The ethical dilemma'

Tom Power, the managing director of travel agency Pura Aventura, which focuses on holidays to Spain, Portugal, and Latin America, recently returned from a business trip to Costa Rica, an amber-listed country.

Power explains that the lengthy and complicated procedures he went through to travel there and back made him realize that amber-list travel is hardly suited for a vacation.

'Leaving an amber country, dealing with all the paperwork, the testing requirements, and the quarantine upon return—none of that is designed for a holiday,' he says, calling the experience 'a complete hassle.'

As a travel company director, Power admits he wishes international travel were more straightforward. However, he adds that he’d rather see travel restrictions remain in place for now to help the world recover from the pandemic in the long run.

'It’s not just about the practicalities and the cost of testing—it’s also a moral question,' he says.

Power also believes that the current worries and uncertainties surrounding international travel diminish the overall enjoyment of a vacation.

'From a psychological perspective, a big part of the enjoyment of travel comes before and after the trip,' he explains. 'If you're spending the pre-trip time worrying and the post-trip in quarantine, it really turns the holiday into something less enjoyable.'

Travel to Portugal

For some this week, the allure of the beach, sunshine, and relaxation was enough to push through the confusing bureaucracy surrounding travel.

When the UK released its green list of approved destinations earlier this month, Londoner Victoria Goulder immediately searched for vacation options and chose a package holiday to the Algarve in Portugal.

On May 18, the day after restrictions were eased, Goulder, her husband, and their 2-year-old son checked in for their Ryanair flight at London’s Stansted Airport, with all their Covid paperwork in order, eager to relax.

'We were just so desperate to get away,' Goulder tells Dinogo Travel.

As per Portuguese regulations, their 2-year-old son also needed a test. Additionally, they’ll have to pay for tests in Portugal before returning to the UK, though their toddler will be exempt from UK testing rules.

Goulder was willing to cover the costs for a holiday, but her main concern was the possibility of accidentally missing a step in the travel process.

'It’s very stressful, worrying about forgetting some form or missing a test,' she admits.

Goulder adds that she’s not too worried about the rules changing and needing to quarantine, since she and her husband work from home and could easily isolate if necessary. In fact, that’s one of the reasons she felt comfortable traveling now.

'Right now, traveling is still a bit tricky,' she says. 'But I’d hold off if we had a different work situation or lifestyle.'

In Portugal, Goulder says she and other UK visitors have been warmly welcomed by locals, who seem thrilled to see tourists returning.

She notes that the effects of fewer visitors are clear to see.

'Walking through the main streets of the Algarve, you see restaurant owners standing outside, trying to draw people in, while everything is empty. It’s heartbreaking to witness. Everyone is just trying to survive, but I truly hope things will improve soon.'