Ministers are said to be locking horns over the creation of a new travel traffic light category, as industry experts claim 17 new countries could go green on Thursday.

Plans for an ‘amber watch list’ were approved last week, meaning travellers could be warned that countries with concerning Covid data could be placed on the red list.

This could reportedly include Spain and Italy – meaning tourists who fly over there may face a £1,750 quarantine hotel stay to get back into the UK.

But Whitehall sources have suggested the project could be thrown on the scrapheap as Tories and travel experts revolt against the idea, the Daily Mail reports.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps is against the idea of an amber watchlist and would instead like to see travel opened up further, The Telegraph claims.

Tory backbenchers have also blasted the ‘amber watch list’ plan as ‘inexplicably complicated’.

It comes as travel consultancy, the PC Agency, claims 12 countries – including Germany, Poland, Canada, Austria and Romania – could go fully green this week as infection rates plummet.

This would also include Bosnia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia and Slovenia.

Experts say a further five areas currently on the amber list – Bhutan, French Polynesia, North Macedonia, Norway and Saudi Arabia – have low enough case rates to join the ‘green watch list’.

This alerts holidaymakers that certain destinations could be relegated to the amber list, where anyone not fully vaccinated has to self-isolate for 10 days on their return.

Paul Charles, chief executive of travel consultancy The PC Agency, has insisted there is ‘no need for the amber watchlist which would complicate the traffic light system even more’.

His remarks come amid reports Rishi Sunak wants holiday restrictions to be dropped.

The Chancellor is said to have warned Boris Johnson that the current rules are ‘out of step’ with other countries, particularly given the number of Brits who have been vaccinated.

Former Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith has urged the Government to stop ‘messing families around’ and govern them by the quarantine rule in place when they leave for a holiday

He said: ‘If you have gone away on the basis that the country is okay and you have had your two vaccines then you should not have to self-isolate when you get back.

‘I am glad the Chancellor is getting involved because we have to start thinking about the economic damage we are causing by overly restrictive and constantly changing rules. 

‘We need to be trusting our vaccines and opening up, not constantly tinkering in a way that undermines confidence.’

Labour has accused the Government of being ‘in chaos over their border policy’.

Shadow transport secretary Jim McMahon said Mr Sunak’s letter showed the two most senior figures in Government were ‘in open disagreement’ over travel rules.

He said: ‘Rather than brief the Sunday newspapers against each other, the Tories need to get a grip and bring this summer of chaos to an end.’

Ministers will meet on Thursday to decide the travel rules that will be in place for most of August.

The Department for Transport said it would not comment on ‘speculation’ when asked about whether an amber watchlist was being considered.

A spokesman for the Whitehall department said the traffic light system was ‘kept under regular review’ and ‘based on the latest risk assessment from the Joint Biosecurity Centre’, which assesses the public health risk of international travel.

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