Thousands of people are expected to jet off to Spain from the UK today, despite the government warning people not to go on holiday there.
Spain is on the amber list, with the Prime Minister saying that people should not travel to amber list countries for holidays.
People returning to the UK must quarantine for 10 days when they get home and take two coronavirus tests.
But Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said that British tourists are welcome on Monday and will not have to quarantine on their arrival, meaning many people are planning to head to Spain this week.
Flights from the UK to Spain are set to double to around 80 a day this week, carrying an estimated 16,000 passengers - reports Mirror Online.
It means more than 100,000 tourists could be jetting to Spain over the next few days.
British Airways, Qatar Airways and Iberia have direct flights from Heathrow to Ibiza on Monday.
BA, American Airlines and Iberia will also fly from the West London Airport to Barcelona.
Other Spanish flights from Heathrow on Monday are due to touch down at Palma, Malaga and Madrid.
Gatwick has planes going to Ibiza, Malaga, Majorca and Lanzarote with easyJet and to Barcelona and Valencia with Vueling.
Ryanair is flying to Alicante from Manchester and Stansted, to Malaga from Luton, to Barcelona from Stansted and to Majorca from Edinburgh and Manchester.
Ryanair also has flights to the Canary Islands of Tenerife and Lanzarote from Stansted.
Vueling is flying to Majorca from Cardiff later tomorrow.
Palma Airport on Majorca will also welcome Tui holiday flights from Newcastle, Cardiff and Manchester.
Tui is flying to Lanzarote and Tenerife from Manchester and to Menorca from Stansted, Gatwick, Birmingham and Cardiff.
It has also Ibiza-bound jets from Bristol, Newcastle, Manchester and Birmingham.
However, the Foreign Office website said today: “We continue to advise against all but essential travel to Spain, including the Balearic Islands, but excluding the Canary Islands.”
Travelling to countries against Foreign Office advice invalidates most travel insurance policies.
Home Secretary Priti Patel warned people yesterday not to travel to amber list countries.
She told BBC1’s The Andrew Marr Show: "We have the traffic light system. That is there for a reason.
“We have measures in place to protect the public.
“When it comes to holidays, of course the public will follow the advice that comes out from the Government – green listing for example.”
Last week, top scientist Professor Andrew Hayward, an infectious diseases expert at University College London, said: “It’s important to really minimise travel full-stop, whether it’s to red list or amber list countries, because there is mixing involved in travelling both on aeroplanes, in airports, and of course in the country where you go to.”
Shadow Home Secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds called for all amber list nations to be added to the red list – meaning a 10-night, £1,750 stay in a Government-approved hotel on return to the UK.
He said: “The amber list countries should be shifted onto the red list so you have that comprehensive hotel quarantining, we can then have this green list in place.”
However, aviation chiefs called on ministers to back travel to amber countries.
Former British Airways boss Willie Walsh, who is now director-general of the International Air Transport Association, told the Mail on Sunday: “If you’ve been fully vaccinated, then green and amber should be a sensible decision for people to make themselves.
“People were promised the benefit of being vaccinated – a vaccine dividend – and they should be given it.
“I think if you’ve had both shots then there’s no argument you can make to say those restrictions can remain in place, and people should be free to decide for themselves if they see any risk in travelling to a green or amber country.”
