People hoping for an overseas trip this summer – and those hoping to sell them that break – are furious after the UK government announced changes to the list of approved destinations.

Portugal, which was the only viable popular destination on the green list, will be moved to the orange list.

This means people returning from there will have to self-isolate at home for 10 days under coronavirus restrictions and take two PCR tests.

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Other popular destinations such as Spain, Greece, Italy and France remain on the orange list.

Sri Lanka and Egypt are among the seven countries going on the red list, which means returnees must quarantine themselves in a government-approved hotel for 11 days at their own expense.

British travelers already in Portugal are in a hurry to return to the UK before the new rules begin in the early hours of Tuesday, June 8.

One man told Reuters news agency: “You have to have an open or a closed system.

“There are families taking children out and people have been booking vacations for a long time.

“If it’s closed, shut it. But you know the stress it puts on people now …”

Another said: “The constant change of goalposts – that’s the frustrating side of it.

“If you are going to open up travel, you have to commit to doing it, rather than having a knee-jerk reaction by allowing it a month and then changing it a few weeks later.”

Airlines and travel agencies have also reacted angrily to the changes, having spent much of the past 18 months trying to run their businesses under the cloud of ever-changing government rules.

A British Airways spokesperson said the news was’ incredibly disappointing and confusing ‘, adding:’ The UK has reached a critical point and urgently needs to travel with low risk countries, such as the United States. United, to revive the economy, support devastated industries and bring loved ones together.

“With high levels of vaccination in the UK being matched by other countries, we should see the UK government add destinations to ‘green’ as soon as possible – not turn our backs on a traffic light model we have. been led to believe firmly based on scientific data. “

EasyJet chief executive Johan Lundgren said the decision was a “blow” and “is simply not justified by science”.

“When this framework was put in place, consumers were promised a waiting list to allow them to plan. Yet the government tore up its own rulebook and ignored the science, plunging people’s plans into the dark. chaos, with virtually no notice or alternative travel options from the UK This decision essentially cuts the UK off from the rest of the world.

“As our European fleet gears up for the summer as European governments open up travel to their citizens, the UK government is preventing airlines from planning while consumers stay on the ground in the UK.”

Jet2 said it delayed restarting flights and vacations from June 24 to July 1 after the government’s announcement.

Customers who booked to go to Orange List destinations would be allowed to change bookings for free if they were to travel between July 1 and July 21. Flights to Turkey, a Red List country, will resume on July 22, as customers who booked before are offered a full refund.

Managing Director Steve Heapy said, “We know how disappointed our customers and independent travel agency partners will be with today’s announcement, and we share their concerns and frustrations.

“We are now asking for full openness and transparency around data, so customers and industry can really understand what is driving these decisions.”

“We agree that public health must be the number one priority. However, despite all the evidence and data showing that travel can restart safely and on a large scale, the UK continues to remain largely entrenched while the rest of Europe is opening up. “

A Ryanair spokesperson said: “There is no justification for this decision, which was not based on data or scientific facts.

“Vaccination rates in Portugal are 40% and with over 75% of the UK adult population now vaccinated, it is perfectly safe for families to hit the beaches of the Algarve in June, July and August.”

Paul Charles, managing director of travel consultancy The PC Agency, said: “They essentially endanger tens of thousands of jobs in the aviation and travel industry, and show no sign of helping the sector to recover.

“They seem to want to continue to create an atmosphere of fear among travelers, which is totally at odds with other countries.”

Andrew Flintham, Managing Director of TUI UK, said the announcement was “another step backwards for our industry” and that Portugal’s move to the Orange List would cause “untold damage to customer confidence”.

He added: “Unlike other European countries and despite multiple requests, the government has refused to be transparent about data requirements for green, orange and red destinations.

“We need to see the methodology so that we can help our customers and plan our operations accordingly.

“There are destinations around the world with little to no COVID-19 cases and good vaccination rates, so we need to understand why these remain on the Amber List. “

The bosses of the main UK airports Heathrow and Gatwick were equally frustrated.

Stewart Wingate, Managing Director of Gatwick, said: “It is bitterly disappointing news for our affected passengers and airlines that Portugal is added to the ‘orange’ list from next week when no other destination is available. is open for “green” trips.

“While it is in all of our interests to ensure that we only take steps forward to emerge from the pandemic, we hope the rest of Europe will keep pace with the UK’s public vaccination speed so that travel safe and easy to and from the UK is fast becoming a reality, especially as travel between countries in mainland Europe is already opening up. “

Heathrow chief executive John Holland-Kaye said the move “would almost guarantee another summer lost for the travel industry.”

He added: ‘If the government is serious about protecting UK jobs and supporting businesses across the country, swift action is needed to reopen flights to major trading partners, remove testing for vaccinated passengers from “green” countries and reduce the cost and complexity of testing, as other G7 countries are doing. “

Travel-related stocks responded to the announcement as expected:

• IAG (owner of British Airways, Aer Lingus and others) closed down 5.3%

• Ryanair closed down 4.4%

• EasyJet closed 5%

• Wizz Air closed its doors by 3.8%

• The travel agency TUI closed its doors by 4.5%

• Intercontinental Hotels Group closed 1.2%

• And Whitbread (owner of Premier Inn) closed 1.4%