Boris Johnson to unveil holiday roadmap on 5 April

Announcement will be made a week earlier than planned

(POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

The government will unveil its holiday roadmap on 5 April, the prime minister has confirmed.

The findings of the Global Travel Taskforce were originally due to be announced on 12 April but, in his latest coronavirus briefing, Boris Johnson said the key points of the plan would be revealed a week earlier.

Further detail will be provided the following week.

A date of 17 May has long been given as the earliest point from which international leisure travel and the opening of all domestic tourist accommodation could resume in England, with the caveat that the final decision would be made by the Taskforce in April.

They will also confirm whether self-contained accommodation in England – such as holiday cottages – can open from 12 April, as was initially hoped.

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Travel consultant Paul Charles sees the earlier announcement date as a positive sign.

“I’d read much positivity into the fact we’re going to get one overseas travel announcement on 5 April and then greater detail on the 12,” he said. “You don’t announce bad news twice.”

It follows the news that a new four-tier travel traffic light system has been proposed to the government by Heathrow Airport.

The once-busy aviation hub has suggested that blanket travel restrictions could be lifted in favour of a scheme that categorises destinations according to risk, with different rules for each band.

Not to be confused with the potential three-colour traffic light system that has also been discussed previously, this idea originates from Heathrow and is backed by new scientific studies by Oxera and Edge Health.

It splits destinations into four categories – red, amber, yellow and green. The lower the risk, the less restrictions are in place, to enable smoother travel between the UK and countries with advanced vaccination programmes and low Covid-19 infection and death rates.

It will be considered by the government’s Global Travel Taskforce, which is tasked with planning how and when foreign travel can resume safely.

Currently all holidays abroad are banned, with those who attempt unnecessary international travel liable for a £5,000 fine.