Prices for summer holidays to Portugal have plummeted after the country was removed from the government’s green list.
The average cost of a summer break in Portugal, in July or August, fell by 64 per cent following last Thursday’s news, compared with the previous week.
A family of four is now able to get a seven-night package holiday to Portugal during the school holidays for as little as £180 per person, according TravelSupermarket.
Search interest in the destination also dropped by 85 per cent.
Prices have also dropped for travel to the Canary, Balearic and Greek islands as well mainland Spain.
Meanwhile, the average cost of holidays to Jersey have risen by 27 per cent in July and August compared to pre-pandemic levels.
Emma Coulthurst from TravelSupermarket said: “Prices are often the most expensive at the start of the school holidays as people are itching to get away as soon as they can.
"This year, they are some of the cheapest due to the current confusion and chaos over how the traffic light system is implemented."
Portugal was one of the few European holiday destinations initially on the UK’s green list. Thousands of Brits flocked there as soon as they were able to do so with many more booking throughout the summer.
However, it was removed last week due to the spread of the Delta variant, meaning anyone returning must now self isolate at home for 10 days.
While people are not banned from travelling to countries on the amber list, both Boris Johnson and Matt Hancock have advised against it.
The Prime Minister warned: "It is not somewhere you should be going on holiday, let me be very clear about that."
It comes as former Prime Minister Theresa May slammed the current holiday ban, warning “we will never be able to travel abroad ever again” if things didn’t change.
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During a Parliamentary debate on the aviation sector, she said: “We now have over 50 per cent of the adult population vaccinated – a wonderful programme – yet we’re more restricted on travel than we were last year.”
She added: “It is incomprehensible that one of the most heavily vaccinated countries in the world is one that is most reluctant to give its citizens the freedoms those vaccinations should support.”
The next green list announcements are expected before June 28, July 19 and August 9.
