TRAVEL firms have welcomed the latest relaxation of quarantine rules, as 47 countries are taken off the “red list”.

But industry body Abta said it wants to see the government implement plans to replace expensive PCR Covid tests in time for the half-term break.

Airline Jet2 said there was a “genuine reopening” of international travel, with bookings trebling in some cases.

But the Welsh government warned the measures “considerably increase” the risk of importing new variants.

Under the latest changes, only Panama, Colombia, Venezuela, Peru, Ecuador, Haiti and the Dominican Republic remain on the UK’s red list – meaning that travellers from these places arriving in the UK must still stay in hotel quarantine for 11 nights at a cost of £2,285 for one adult.

Popular destinations such as South Africa, Thailand and Mexico are among the 47 places which will be removed from the red list on Monday at 04:00 BST, making travel much easier and cheaper.

The Chief Executive Officer of the Manchester Airpot Group, Charlie Cornish, said:

“This is brilliant news for British people who are desperate to travel overseas on holiday, to visit friends and family or for business.

Customers can now book with confidence, safe in the knowledge that testing is affordable and easy to understand.

Removing so many countries from the red list gives people the most choice they have had since before the pandemic, which will help stimulate the recovery of the UK’s prized aviation sector.

“We look forward to welcoming passengers taking advantage of these changes through our airports in the weeks and months ahead.”