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Original green list holiday destinations see prices climb by as much as 142%

New Zealand.

Australia, Brunei, Faroe Islands, Gibraltar, Iceland, New Zealand, Singapore, and St Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha are all original members on the green list and remain there to this day

Britain’s first Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) travel agent, Butter, has revealed which current green list destinations offer the best chance of a hassle-free holiday this summer, as well as the increased price you're likely to pay for the pleasure.

The original traffic light system was revealed in early May 2021 to clearly differentiate between nations with differing COVID infection rates, allocating them either green, amber or red status.

Since then, countries have been constantly moving between the green and amber lists, sometimes falling into red, causing chaos for holidaymakers, some of which have seen their holiday destination change status while already abroad.

There are, however, eight suitable holiday destinations that featured on the original green list and have stayed there ever since. For prospective holiday goers, these places not only offer one of the safest options, but also some of the most reliable destinations this summer to avoid the traffic light hopping fiasco. 

Original green list destinations
Australia, Brunei, Faroe Islands, Gibraltar, Iceland, New Zealand, Singapore, and St Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha are all original members on the green list and remain there to this day and travellers can have confidence that a holiday to one of these destinations is unlikely to be interrupted by it being moved to the amber list.

It’s important to clearly differentiate between these eight nations and the rest of the green list because simply being on the current green list does not necessarily mean a destination is safe and reliable for travel.

Amber uncertainty
There are currently 19 other nations on the green list, including popular destinations such as Barbados, Croatia, Hong Kong and Israel. However, they are on the green ‘watch list’ meaning  UK travellers can set off on holiday to these places today, but should infection levels continue to increase, they could be moved onto the amber list at the next government review.

Original green list holiday costs
So how much does a holiday to an original green list destination cost?

The most affordable of the safest destinations is Gibraltar where a 7-night holiday will cost an average of £589. This affordability comes despite the price having risen by 56% since the green list was introduced in May 2021, up from an average of £378.

In fact, due to their continued presence on the green list, the price for holidaying in many of these safe destinations has gone up significantly since May.

A seven-night trip to Bandar Seri Begawan, the capital of Brunei, will cost £1,724 now, having increased by an extraordinary 142% since May.

Seven nights in Sydney, Australia currently costs an average of £3,291 having risen by 69% since May; a break in Jamestown, St Helena, costs £1,368, up by 6%; and seven nights in Wellington currently cost £1,498, up by 3%.

But not all of the original green list holiday destinations have seen their prices increase since it was announced.  Seven nights in Singapore currently cost an average of £727 after falling by -8% since May; Torshavn, Faroe Islands has seen a price drop of -7%, and Reykjavik, Iceland, has seen prices fall by -0.7%.

Timothy Davis, Co-Founder and CEO of Butter, commented: “Foreign travel has become incredibly complicated in the wake of Covid-19, but as more and more nations start to manage and lower their infection rates, we can finally start planning a much-needed summer holiday.

The best option when doing so is to look to the countries that have consistently remained on the green list and show little sign of moving to amber. Unfortunately, this greater sense of security when travelling has increased demand and pushed up prices. So it will now cost you a fair bit more to travel to the majority of these destinations compared to just a few months ago.

However, for those desperate to take advantage of relaxed restrictions in order to get away this summer, spreading the cost of your holiday could help you to better stomach this higher cost of travelling. Booking via Butter means you can secure your flights and accommodation and pay in 10 smaller monthly installments, interest-free and even after you’ve travelled.”

Table shows the change in holiday cost when booking in May vs July for nations to have remained on the green list throughout

City

Country

Average cost for 7 night stay per person (May 2021)

< Change >

Average cost for 7 night stay per person (July 2021)

Bandar Seri Begawan

Brunei

£713

141.77%

£1,724

Sydney

Austrailia

£1,953

68.51%

£3,291

Gibraltar

Gibraltar

£378

55.82%

£589

Jamestown

St Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha

£1,288

6.21%

£1,368

Wellington

New Zealand

£1,452

3.16%

£1,498

Reykjavik

Iceland

£616

-0.68%

£612

Torshavn

Faroe Islands

£953

-6.78%

£888

Singapore

Singapore

£794

-8.39%

£727

Data sourced from Expedia, Last Minute, Kayak and Travel Republic based on a 7-night stay per person for a three-star hotel and economy flights

         

 

Table shows current green list destinations and their status

Destination

Info

Original green list

Australia

Green list

Yes

Brunei

Green list

Yes

Faroe Islands

Green list

Yes

Gibraltar

Green list

Yes

Iceland

Green list

Yes

New Zealand

Green list

Yes

Singapore

Green list

Yes

St Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha

Green list

Yes

 

 

 

Anguilla

Green watchlist – at risk of moving from green to amber

No

Antarctica/British Antarctic Territory

Green watchlist – at risk of moving from green to amber

No

Antigua and Barbuda

Green watchlist – at risk of moving from green to amber

No

Barbados

Green watchlist – at risk of moving from green to amber

No

Bermuda

Green watchlist – at risk of moving from green to amber

No

British Indian Ocean Territory

Green watchlist – at risk of moving from green to amber

No

Bulgaria

Moved to green list 4am, Monday 19 July. If you arrive in England before then you need to follow the amber list rules

No

Cayman Islands

Green watchlist – at risk of moving from green to amber

No

Croatia

Moved to green watchlist 4am, Monday 19 July. If you arrive in England before then you need to follow the amber list rules

No

Dominica

Green watchlist – at risk of moving from green to amber

No

Grenada

Green watchlist – at risk of moving from green to amber

No

Hong Kong

Moved to green list 4am, Monday 19 July. If you arrive in England before then you need to follow the amber list rules

No

Israel and Jerusalem

Green watchlist – at risk of moving from green to amber

Yes

Madeira

Green watchlist – at risk of moving from green to amber

No

Malta

Green list

No

Montserrat

Green watchlist – at risk of moving from green to amber

No

Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie and Oeno Islands

Green watchlist – at risk of moving from green to amber

No

Taiwan

Moved to green watchlist 4am, Monday 19 July. If you arrive in England before then you need to follow the amber list rules

No

Turks and Caicos Islands

Green watchlist – at risk of moving from green to amber

No

Sourced from Gov.uk

News Editor - TravelDailyNews Media Network | + Posts

Tatiana is the news coordinator for TravelDailyNews Media Network (traveldailynews.gr, traveldailynews.com and traveldailynews.asia). Her role includes monitoring the hundreds of news sources of TravelDailyNews Media Network and skimming the most important according to our strategy.

She holds a Bachelor's degree in Communication & Mass Media from Panteion University of Political & Social Studies of Athens and she has been editor and editor-in-chief in various economic magazines and newspapers.

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