Tenerife and Lanzarote planning pre-departure Covid testing at UK airports to restart holidays to the Canaries

HOLIDAYS to the Canary Islands could get much easier with a new pre-departure coronavirus scheme being put forward by Spain and the UK.

Last month, the country introduced mandatory negative coronavirus tests for all incoming tourists, including Brits.

These can cost up to £200 per person, making holidays to Tenerife and Lanzarote much more difficult and expensive.

However, Spain's secretary of state Fernando Valdés said he was hopeful for the pilot scheme to start this month, giving hope for a Canary Islands holiday by January.

The scheme hopes to start from December 15 until February 2021 in the Canaries.

He said talks were already underway with the UK and Germany for airports on both sides to offer the rapid testing.

He told Travel Weekly that the current rules "have to change" ahead of the vaccine rollout to allow holidays to resume.

Mr Valdés explained: "They [PCRs] are the certified tests, but we have to move forward to be more agile and put in place measures that are more flexible, more cheap and more accessible to the population. It has to change.”

“Just two months ago we didn’t know we had a vaccine. Things can move very fast.”

He also wanted to stop the quarantine restrictions altogether with the use of pre-departure tests.

Currently 14 days, the UK is slashing the quarantine period to just five days this month, with a mandatory test on day one and day five.

A new vaccine being rolled out across the UK next week has provided much needed hope for the travel industry.

Brits could even be given a "vaccine stamp" in their passport to show they have had the jab.

Qantas is the first airline to ban travellers from boarding if they don't have the vaccine when it is rolled out.

Here is everything you need to know about the vaccine and how it will affect your holiday plans.

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