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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Travel
Rosaleen Fenton

Portugal summer holidays could be salvaged as government seeks UK 'air bridge'

Portugal and the UK are reportedly in talks to try and secure an "air bridge" for tourists which would allow British visitors to avoid 14 days of quarantine upon returning home.

Also dubbed a "travel corridor", the move would allow travellers to fly between countries where the spread of the virus is low without needing to quarantine.

Portugal has been hailed for its response to the coronavirus, with 30,788 cases and 1,333 deaths recorded.

But its tourism-dependent economy has suffered as a result of the pandemic and subsequent lockdowns as governments try to stop the spread of the virus.

Now the authorities are trying to save some of the summer season.

Brits may be able to enjoy a summer holiday in Portugal (Getty Images)

In 2019, almost 20 per cent of the 16 million foreign tourists that visited Portugal were British.

Now a source has told news agency Reuters that the talks are still in an initial phase.

Another said the government is seeking the air corridor both for Portuguese tourists visiting Britain and vice versa.

The tourism sector in Portugal makes up a colossal 15 per cent of its GDP, and was one of the main forces behind its recovery following the 2010-14 economic crisis.

Portugal is hoping to revive its summer season (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

It comes as anyone entering Britain from June 8 will be required to self-isolate for 14 days.

The new rules will apply to all returning holidaymakers - but will be reviewed every few weeks.

When approached for comment, the foreign ministry told Reuters that Portugal had requested additional information after the British government announced the new quarantine rules.

And it said it was optimistic about finding an acceptable solution.

A spokesman said: "Given the relevant reciprocal interests, the foreign ministry is confident that it will be possible to agree a solution that meets these interests, especially concerning the coming summer season."

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