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

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.”