Canary Islands, Mykonos, Maldives, Denmark added to safe travel list

22 October 2020, 17:13 | Updated: 22 October 2020, 17:54

The Canary Islands, Mykonos, Denmark and the Maldives have been added to the Government's list of travel corridors.

Travellers arriving in the UK from those places after 4am on Sunday no longer need to self-isolate for 14 days, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said.

He added Liechtenstein was being removed from the travel corridor list, meaning travellers arriving in the UK from the country after 4am on Sunday will have to self-isolate for 14 days.

Managing director of travel firm Tui, Andrew Flintham, said the reintroduction of the Canary Islands to the travel corridor list was a "positive step" for both the business and holidaymakers seeking a winter break.

He said: "We haven't been able to take people on a Tui holiday to the Canary Islands for 89 days, when the sudden quarantine and subsequent travel advice was imposed with little notice.

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"We're therefore delighted that UK flights will now resume from Saturday October 24. The first flights will depart to Fuerteventura and Lanzarote this weekend, with many more added in the coming days.

"We urge the Government to continue to work closely with the industry on airport testing so we can open up more destinations in the coming weeks. We must move away, where possible, from the anxiety our industry faces waiting for the new list of places people can travel to each week.

"This level of uncertainty is damaging for business and all those employed in our industry."

The infection rate on the Canary Islands is around 25 per 100,000 people, with 72 active cases and several in hospital.

Chief Executive of tourism firm Kuoni predicts there will be a "surge in demand" for holidays to the Canary Islands and the Maldives ahead of October half-term.

"This is a very welcome development. We are anticipating a surge in demand for Maldives holidays," he said.

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"The Maldives is already outperforming every other destination we sell for next year, currently accounting for almost half of our bookings for 2021, and today's news means that an even quicker getaway is now possible.

"After months of seemingly endless bad news for holidaymakers, having both the Maldives and Canary Islands on the safe corridor list will be welcomed by anyone still dreaming of a winter sun break over the next few months."