Buzzing Brits are in a rush to book half-term holidays after the amber list and expensive tests were scrapped, travel industry leaders say.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps announced on Friday that restrictions on travel are to be significantly eased.
From October 4, there will be a single, reduced "red list" of destinations from where passengers arriving in England will be required to quarantine in a Government-supervised hotel.
At the same time, people who are fully vaccinated will no longer need a pre-departure test before returning from non-red list destinations - potentially saving hundreds of pounds.
And from the end of October, they will be able to replace the day two PCR test with a cheaper lateral flow test.
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Alan French, the chief executive of Thomas Cook, described the streamlining of the traffic light system as "a shot in the arm for the travel industry".
He revealed that October half-term bookings were already up 200 per cent compared to August and he expects this figure to rise as a result of the simpler system.
Mr French said: "The news today is a shot in the arm for both the travel industry and families up and down the country who are crying out for some much-needed late summer sun.
"Based on our bookings already today, I would expect this weekend to be the biggest of the year so far as people take advantage of the great deals on offer, the new easier rules on testing and the simplified system for international travel."
Managing director of TUI UK Andrew Flintham also said he had already seen "an uptick in bookings for Turkey in October" and expects customer confidence to have been boosted further by the new rules.
And Steve Heapy, CEO of Jet2, told the Sun Online : "We have seen demand step up over the last few days.
"There has been an immediate and massive surge in bookings for flights and package holidays on the back of this welcome news for holidaymakers in England."
Paul Charles, chief executive of travel consultancy PC Agency, added: "This is take off for the travel industry.
"Already I'm hearing stories of people booking Maldives, Sri Lanka, Kenya. In the last two hours the airlines and tour operators are seeing very strong enquiries."
EasyJet chief executive Johan Lundgren said the change was a "welcome step forward".
But he also called for an end to the testing of vaccinated travellers from low-risk countries after arriving back in the UK.
"Removing the pre-departure test coupled with the disbanding of the traffic light system will inject some much needed confidence into travel once again," Mr Lundgren said.
"However, vaccinated travellers and those from low risk countries will still have to do an unnecessary test after arriving in the UK, making travel less affordable for all.
"Since July 1 there has been no testing at all for vaccinated travellers within the rest of Europe, and this is why the UK will continue to fall further behind the rest of Europe if this remains."
And Heathrow boss John Holland-Kaye added: "This simplification of the travel rules is very welcome for businesses and families across the country but the decision to require fully vaccinated passengers to take more costly private lateral flow tests is an unnecessary barrier to travel, which keeps the UK out of step with the rest of the EU."
Unvaccinated passengers from non-red list countries will have to take a pre-departure test, and a PCR test on days two and eight after returning, the Government said in the update.
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However, travellers who have a valid vaccination certificate from 17 additional countries and territories - including Japan and Singapore - will be treated as if they had been jabbed in the UK.
In the meantime, eight countries - including Turkey, Pakistan and the Maldives - are being removed from the red list with effect form 4am on Wednesday.
Travellers from Egypt, Sri Lanka, Oman, Bangladesh and Kenya will also no longer be required to hotel quarantine from that date.
Mr Shapps said the measures were intended to strike the "right balance", simplifying the system while managing the public health risk "as No.1 priority".
"Today's changes mean a simpler, more straightforward system - one with less testing and lower costs, allowing more people to travel, see loved ones or conduct business around the world while providing a boost for the travel industry," he said.
"Public health has always been at the heart of our international travel policy and with more than eight in 10 adults fully vaccinated in the UK, we are now able to introduce a proportionate updated structure that reflects the new landscape."
