OVER 16million Brits will defy the government's advice and head off for a holiday abroad this summer.
One in five are considering heading to an amber list country – with half of those planning on jetting off to the Spanish Costas.
Travel firms behind the research want the price of testing to be slashed so people can safely head abroad.
Youngsters aged between 18 and 24 are the most likely to jet away – despite not yet being jabbed.
Huge swathes of Brits want to jet abroad even though popular destinations like France, Spain and Greece remain on the 'amber' list.
It means holiday makers coming home will need to qurantine when they get home, and fork out hundreds for expensive PCR tests.
However Cabinet minister Robert Jenrick offered some hope for more green list hols, a day after his colleague George Eustice said no more nations would be added.
But he revealed that he would likely be going on holiday in the UK this summer.
He said: "I think a lot of people are coming to the conclusion, perfectly understandably, that this isn't a normal summer – opportunities for international travel are going to be more limited, and so why not enjoy everything that this country has to offer this summer?
"That's probably the decision that I'm going to make, many other people will be doing the same.”
He handed some hope to those desperate to get away he added: “We would like to offer people the opportunity to go to more of those green list countries but that's very dependent on what's happening there.”
And Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said opening Britian's borders for holidays could scupper the next phase of the roadmap out of lockdown.
He said: “What no one wants to see us doing now is to screw that all up by inadvertently re-attracting the coronavirus . . . into this country.”
It comes as an estimated eight million would consider a holiday abroad if it was more affordable.
The poll was taken by testing company Prenetics – who are demanding ministers slash VAT on tests in a campaign – 'Take a Holiday From VAT.'
Former minister David Davis added his weight behind the campaign, saying: "We shouldn't be adding this extra COVID Tax to the cost of family holidays.
“The Government made testing compulsory and if we want it to work properly and safely, it needs to be more affordable, not more expensive.”
Prenetics Boss Avi Lasarow- who helped run the Premier League testing regime – said: “We had more than 600 calls from British holidaymakers in Portugal in one day when the announcement was made.
“So it’s vital we make it safer and cheaper for them. We have made tests more affordable through partnerships with the travel industry but if the Government was to axe VAT on holiday COVID tests it would make a significant further difference and bring the cost of tests in the UK below £50.
“Prenetics helped to bring back British sport, now we want to help bring back cheaper foreign holidays for Brits.”
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