Deals to allow quarantine-free travel to holiday destinations “won’t come in overnight”, Home Secretary Priti Patel has warned.
On Friday the government announced it would waive quarantine rules for people arriving from ‘safe’ countries, under a ‘traffic lights’ system.
But deals to ensure British holidaymakers aren’t quarantined at their destination are yet to be confirmed.
Ms Patel said: "These measures won't come in overnight. They will take time because some of this will be down to negotiation, discussion with certain countries but the principle around sharing data, travel data, the locator form that the Home Office has created, to capture a lot of this information, will absolutely still remain.”
Asked if she would be taking a summer holiday overseas this year, Ms Patel said: “I’ll be working hard throughout the Summer. I’ll be here.”
On Sky News' Ridge on Sunday show, the Home Secretary stressed that negotiations are ongoing.
She added: "There will be an announcement in the next few days ahead, the review point is tomorrow, which is what the Government has outlined.
"You will have to, along with members of the public, listen to the advice, see what the government is saying in terms of the countries that we are going to be opening up with, who we are working with, the countries that my colleague the Transport Secretary (Grant Shapps) is in dialogue with right now."
The Home Secretary spoke out after travel firms reported record sales this weekend as bargain hunters looked to secure a holiday this summer.
The Foreign Office is set to change its advice against "all but essential travel" to allow holidays to low or medium-risk destinations.
The list of countries is set to be published on Wednesday, with restrictions lifted as soon as July 6.
It is expected to include France, Greece, Spain, Belgium, Italy, the Netherlands, and Turkey - but possibly not Portugal.
Ahead of restrictions loosening, tour operator TUI has reported a 50% spike in bookings this week compared to the previous one, as restless Brits look to jet abroad.
A spokeswoman for Lastminute.com said it had recorded an 80 per cent rise in holiday sales compared to the week before, although this was boosted by Spain reopening its borders.
Now actress Joanna Lumley has said she would "put my trust" in public transport being safe and fly to France this summer with her husband.
The 74-year-old told the BBC's Andrew Marr show: "I'm going to go to France because that's not in lockdown any more.
"We're going to go safely. We're going to fly there actually, because I've got to put my trust, if they say public transport is safe, it's safe and off we go."
