An overwhelming majority of Britons have given up hope of a foreign holiday this summer, an exclusive Mirror poll has revealed.
Three-quarters (75%) said they were not planning an overseas trip this year, while less than a fifth – 18% – said they were planning a foreign trip before 2022.
And the public was scathing of Boris Johnson's decision to delay placing Indian on the Red List.
Some 74% said it should have gone on earlier than April 23, when it was finally added. Just 17% said the Government was right not to have put it on earlier.
And 81% thought people returning from overseas should be forced into quarantine.
It comes as British families' hopes of a holiday on the Algarve were torpedoed as Portugal was stripped from the Government's green list for foreign travel.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps ordered the nation to be placed on the amber schedule – meaning arrivals to the UK must self-isolate at home for 10 days and provide two negative coronavirus tests before being allowed out.
The move to demote Portugal followed a surge in infections – and fears over a Nepalese mutation of the Indian Covid-19 variant.
Mr Shapps linked the move to the planned easing of lockdown curbs in England later this month.
Explaining the decision to switch Portugal to amber, he said: “We've seen two things really which caused concern.
"One is the positivity rate has nearly doubled since the last review in Portugal and the other is there's a sort of Nepal mutation of the so-called Indian variant which has been detected and we just don't know the potential for that to be a vaccine-defeating mutation and simply don't want to take the risk as we come up to June 21 and the review of the fourth stage of the unlock."
No more countries were added to the green list deemed safe for non-essential journeys, leaving just 11 nations and territories available for quarantine-free travel.
In contrast, Sri Lanka, Egypt, Afghanistan, Bahrain, Costa Rica, Sudan, and Trinidad and Tobago go on the Red List – meaning people arriving in the UK must pay £1,750 for an 11-night stay in a Government-approved hotel.
The crackdown comes into force at 4am Tuesday – giving thousands of Britons thought to be in Portugal until then to get back to the UK before they are forced to quarantine.
It is only 17 days since the ban on non-essential travel from Britain was lifted.
Portugal's seven-day rate of coronavirus cases per 100,000 people stands at 37.2, up from 30.7 a week earlier.
Many Britons in the country were thought to be planning to return this weekend anyway after enjoying half-term breaks.
But British holidaymakers in Lisbon blasted the decision. John Joyce, 44, from Newcastle-upon-Tyne, said: "It's a bit unfair.
"There are families bringing out kids and people who booked their holidays already.”
Charlotte Cheddle, 22, urged the Government to either "ban international travel completely or communicate properly with people".
She said: "It's silly. We made an effort to get tested privately. We paid for everything and we have done everything to make it safe."
English football fans returning from Portugal after last weekend's Champions League final, where Chelsea beat Manchester City 1-0, have been warned to quarantine.
Andy Saunders, from St Albans, Herts, was told by the NHS Test and Trace app to self-isolate for 10 days after returning on a flight from Chelsea's "appointed travel partner".
He said: "The mask-wearing from Chelsea fans [on the flight] was very compliant and everyone behaved themselves. I think that makes it even more frustrating."
Dom Farrell, a sports journalist for Stats Perform, travelled to the match in Porto for work and received a notification from NHS Test and Trace four days after flying home, telling him he needed to self-isolate for seven days.
He said a colleague on the same flight had received the same notification.
Mr Farrell believed playing the match abroad when two English clubs were competing was unnecessary.
He said: "If I'm being entirely honest, it shouldn't have happened – and I'm not saying that because I have to self-isolate.
"It just seems silly it wasn't happening in the UK."
Slapping Portugal on the amber list sparked fresh fury from the travel and aviation industries – and dismay from Lisbon.
The Portuguese foreign ministry tweeted: “We take note of the British decision to remove Portugal from the 'Green List' of travel, a decision whose logic cannot be reached.”
Failing to expand the green list – and removing Portugal – cast fresh doubt over plans to revive the travel sector this summer.
Association of British Travel Agents chief executive Mark Tanzer said: “It’s clear that the Government’s domestic health strategy is continuing to prevent any meaningful resumption of international travel.
“You can’t build the recovery of a multi-billion-pound sector while mass market holiday destinations remain off the green list.
“The removal of Portugal comes on the back on what was already a very short and cautious green list.”
British Airline Pilots' Association general secretary Brian Strutton said: “This decision is a total disaster for the already fragile travel industry and is likely to lead to further airline failures and many more job losses.
“We understand that safety comes first, but with vaccination programmes going well in many countries, it seems the Government is ignoring the evidence and is allowing safe countries to languish in the amber and red categories for no valid reason.
“Any shred of public confidence is in tatters and the traffic light system seems stuck on red.”
Shadow Home Secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds said: "Moving Portugal onto the 'amber list' is not the answer. The 'amber list' itself should be scrapped."
Lib Dem health spokeswoman Munira Wilson said: "This will come as a huge blow both to British citizens keen to get away on a foreign holiday after an incredibly difficult 15 months, and to the travel industry.”
- Survation polled 1,533 adults online on Tuesday and Wednesday.
