Market News

By Oliver Smith

Plans to force arrivals from dozens of high-risk countries to spend 10 days in a "quarantine hotel" – at their own cost – are expected to be confirmed later today. 

The move, which appears to have popular support but is vehemently opposed by the travel industry, comes amid fears over new Covid variants. It will put holidays to Portugal, South America, and large parts of Africa off the cards, and cause heartbreak for tens of thousands of Britons will family and friends overseas. According to one estimate, the move could cost the UK economy Â£548 million every day. 

A list of 22 countries will be unveiled, and is likely to be drawn from the 30 from which travel is already severely restricted. However, four more destinations – the UAE, Kenya, Ethiopia and Nigeria – may also be added. 

Portugal will be the most significant country to face the harsh new rules, with around 2.5m Britons visiting each year. However, the addition of the UAE would also throw the travel plans of hundreds of thousands into disarray – some 1.5m people visited the country in 2019, with most heading to Dubai. 

Other key destinations that could feature include South Africa, which welcomes around 430,000 Britons annually, Brazil (155,000), Mauritius (140,000), Argentina (125,000), Nigeria (117,000) and Kenya (100,000). 

As things stand, arrivals from the rest of the world are still required to show evidence of a negative Covid test, taken in the previous 72 hours, as well as self-isolate at home for 10 days (though this can be cut to as little as five with a second negative test). 

The 30 countries from which travel is already restricted

1. South Africa
2. DR Congo
3. Tanzania
4. Zimbabwe
5. Botswana
6. Eswatini
7. Zambia
8. Malawi
9. Namibia
10. Lesotho
11. Mozambique
12. Angola
13. Mauritius
14. Seychelles
15. Portugal
16. Panama
17. Cape Verde
18. Argentina
19. Brazil
20. Bolivia
21. Chile
22. Colombia
23. Ecuador
24. French Guiana
25. Guyana
26. Paraguay
27. Peru
28. Suriname
29. Uruguay
30. Venezuela

Four other countries facing inclusion on the high-risk list

1. Kenya
2. Nigeria
3. Ethiopia
4. UAE