A worker disinfects the showers on the beach of La Muralla on May 25, 2020 in El Puerto de Santa María, Spain.
Juan Carlos Toro
The UK government is about to lift mandatory self-isolation for travelers from low-risk destinations to England starting next week.
Most of the travelers who arrived in the country, including national citizens, were forced to quarantine for two weeks from the beginning of June. At the time, the government argued that this was to contain the spread of the virus. However, the mandatory quarantine sparked strong opposition from airlines, with some even taking legal action to challenge the move.
Spain, Germany, France and Italy are on the list of countries that will be exempt from quarantine as of Monday. The full list of countries will be released later on Friday, but media reports suggest it could include up to 75 nations. The list will be reviewed periodically and is based on epidemiological numbers.
The move provides some relief to airlines and airports, as it will likely encourage more people to take vacations this summer. It is also positive for the tourism industry in places like Spain and Italy, given the importance of UK visitors to these markets.
According to Eurostat, the European Statistics Office, British tourists accounted for 11.4% of the nights they spent in European tourist accommodation in 2018. In the same year, Spain, Italy and France were the top three tourist destinations in Europe.
EasyJet shares were up 2% higher shortly after the opening and the share price of International Airlines Group, which owns British Airways, was also slightly higher.
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