Searches for holiday breaks in Europe doubled this weekend after it was confirmed that onerous quarantine rules will be scrapped for some of the most popular destinations.
Online holiday comparison site Travelsupermarket said it had experienced the busiest weekend since the start of the lockdown in a last-minute “dash for the Med”.
Countries likely to be rated as green or amber on a new traffic light system set to be unveiled in Parliament today saw the biggest spikes.
Visitors returning from them will no longer need to self-isolate for 14 days.
The system of “air bridges” will come into force on July 6, and Foreign Office advice against all but essential travel will also be dropped.
The detail of country ratings is expected to be announced on Wednesday.
Travelsupermarket said searches for Spanish holidays were up 100 per cent on the previous week. Searches for Greece were up 216 per cent, Italy 170 per cent, and France 167 per cent.
But Portugal is expected to be on the red list because of a spike in cases. With bookings only at around 40 per cent of normal levels for this time of year, prices are being heavily discounted.
