Portugal holidays could be back on the cards for Brits this summer as the country's authorities look to welcome back tourists from May, regardless of whether they have received the Covid-19 vaccine or not.
Rita Marques, Portugal's Secretary of State for Tourism, has said that authorities are pushing to reopen borders to UK travellers from May, and that visitors would either need to have received the Covid-19 vaccine, or be able to show proof of a negative Covid-19 test taken before travel.
Speaking to LBC News, she said that the country could reopen from May or June, depending on the Covid-19 situation at the time.
She added on Twitter : "Soon we will receive all those who are eager to visit us, and will be able to do so with confidence and in a safe way."
Currently, Portugal is on the UK's 'red list' of countries meaning that any Brits or UK residents returning to the UK will need to stay in a quarantine hotel for 11 days, and need to cough up the £1,750 cost. However, there are hopes that it could be removed from the red list in the coming days.
Portugal joins a line-up of summer hotspots such as Greece, Cyprus and Turkey who have revealed plans to reopen to Brits for the summer holidays.
Cyprus has said it will reopen to vaccinated Brits, while Greece has said it will welcome back tourists who have either received the Covid-19 vaccine or who can show proof of a negative Covid-19 test taken before travel.
Meanwhile, France reopened its borders to Brits last week (although some rules such as quarantine still remain in place), while Spain has said it is looking to test vaccine passports in a bid to welcome back holidaymakers.
Of course whether summer holidays are on the cards will be dependent on the UK government's own travel restrictions at the time.
Currently, it is illegal to travel abroad for a holiday as part of national lockdowns across the UK. However, when Boris Johnson unveiled the roadmap for easing England out of lockdown, he revealed that foreign travel could resume from May 17 at the earliest - subject to a review from the government's Global Travel Taskforce in April.
Still, it's given holidaymakers a glimmer of hope. In fact, following the announcement travel firms saw a surge in bookings and searches - easyJet alone saw a 630% spike for holidays.
Are you hoping to go abroad this summer if restrictions lift? Let us know in the comments below.
