Travel corridors: Canary Islands, Maldives, Mykonos and Denmark added to quarantine-free list

The Canary Islands, Maldives, Denmark and the Greek island of Mykonos have all been added to the British government’s travel corridors list in the latest update.

From 4am on Sunday 25 October, travellers arriving into England from these countries will no longer have to undergo two weeks of self-isolation.

“Following an assessment of the latest data, the Canaries, the Maldives, Denmark and Mykonos have been ADDED to the #TravelCorridors list,” tweeted Transport Secretary Grant Shapps.

“From 4am on Sunday 25th Oct, you will no longer need to self-isolate if you arrive from those destinations.” 

Only one destination was removed from the quarantine-free list - plucky Liechtenstein, from where arrivals must spend 14 days quarantining upon entering England as of 4am on Sunday.

“The latest data indicates we need to remove Liechtenstein from the Travel Corridors list,” said Shapps.

As with previous updates, changes are likely to be reflected in the Foreign Office’s (FCDO) list of “low-risk” countries that are exempt from its blanket advisory against all non-essential international travel.

This would mean travellers could visit the destinations added to the travel corridors list without invalidating their travel insurance, while the reverse is true for those heading to Liechtenstein.

Travel companies have responded positively to the new additions, with Tui, the UK’s biggest tour operator, announcing that it will resume flights to the Canaries this Saturday.

Andrew Flintham, managing director of Tui UK and Ireland, said: “The reintroduction of the Canary Islands is a positive step forward for our business and all our customers who wish to enjoy a well-deserved break overseas this half-term and during the winter months.

“We haven’t been able to take people on a Tui holiday to the Canary Islands for 89 days, when the sudden quarantine and subsequent travel advice was imposed with little notice. We’re therefore delighted that UK flights will now resume from Saturday 24 October. 

“The first flights will depart to Fuerteventura and Lanzarote this weekend, with many more added in the coming days.”

He added that the company is urging the government “to continue to work closely with the industry on airport testing so we can open up more destinations in the coming weeks.”

Jet2 and Jet2 Holidays, the UK’s largest operator to the Canary Islands, called it a “welcome step for customers who just want to get flying again”, and announced it would be restarting flights and holidays to Tenerife from 30 October and Gran Canaria, Lanzarote and Fuerteventura from 1 November, from all of its nine UK bases.

“For some time we have been calling for a proportionate, evidence-based approach to safe travel and this is very much a step in the right direction,” said Steve Heapy, CEO of Jet2.com and Jet2holidays. 

“There is much to do still, and we look forward to working with government to achieve that.”

While Abta, the travel association, called the travel corridor additions a “bit of light at the end of a very dark tunnel”, it was keen to stress that the industry remains in dire straits.

“We must remember that the pandemic brought foreign travel to a standstill and for most companies there has been little or no chance to start a recovery," said a spokesperson.

“The Chancellor’s update to the Job Support Scheme today, while an improvement, still leaves many travel companies facing difficult decisions around jobs in the weeks ahead. The Government needs to look at introducing tailored support for the industry to help companies through the winter. 

“It is also vital that the Government seeks to fully regionalise travel corridors and transition away from the current global advisory against all but essential travel by moving back to country specific Foreign Travel Advice.”