The chief executive of the group behind Manchester, East Midlands and Stansted airports has said it is "simply unacceptable" for Government ministers to "discourage international travel, based their own interpretations" of policy.
Manchester Airport Group's Charlie Cornish added that the "whole point" of the traffic light system was to let people make their decisions.
In a statement, Mr Cornish said: "The traffic light system was signed-off by the UK’s four chief medical officers to provide a safe framework for international travel based on different levels of risk in green, amber and red countries.
"The whole point of the framework is to allow people to make their own decisions about whether to travel or not, confident in the knowledge that it would be safe.
"It is simply unacceptable for some ministers and officials to seek to discourage international travel, based their own interpretations of government policy.
"Comments like these undermine consumer confidence and risk stifling the recovery of one of the UK’s most valuable sectors."
His comments come after a health minister appeared to contradict official advice over travel following the relaxing of restrictions by saying all international trips were "dangerous".
People in England, Scotland and Wales are able to travel overseas on holiday to a limited number of destinations after restrictions were eased.
However, the Welsh Government is advising people not to travel abroad during 2021. And health minister Lord Bethell has urged Brits to stay at home this summer.
There are green, amber and red lists for international travel, but politicians have offered differing advice over where the public are permitted to travel abroad.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson's official spokesman, during a briefing with reporters on Tuesday, said leisure travel should still be restricted to the limited number of countries deemed safe by ministers, such as Portugal, which feature on the quarantine-free "green list", PA reports.
But two Cabinet ministers appeared to offer a different reading of the rules, with Environment Secretary George Eustice telling broadcasters people could go to amber-listed countries as long as they observed quarantine rules on their return.
Welsh Secretary Simon Hart, speaking after Mr Johnson's comments on the matter, told Times Radio the public should ask themselves whether a trip to a country on the amber list was "essential" before conceding that "some people might think a holiday is essential".
Further complicating matters, health minister Lord Bethell told peers he considered all foreign travel to be "dangerous" and urged Britons to holiday at home this summer.
