SPAIN is likely be added to the UK's high-risk list tomorrow, due to soaring cases in the country.
This means all travel to and from the country would be banned, excluding British nationals returning home.
There are currently 33 countries on the UK's travel ban list which includes Portugal, South America and South African nations.
Last week, the UAE, including Dubai, was added to the list along with Rwanda and Burundi.
Spain may be the latest to be added, according to PC Agency's Paul Charles as the Covid situation worsens.
He told Sun Online Travel: "I think there is a high probability that Spain will be added to the list.
"It's infection rates have shot up in the past few days.
"Over the last month it's been seeing 30,000 new cases a day, whereas a month ago it was seeing 10,000 a day. It's quite clear that it is seeing variants emerge as well.
"It could be coming across the border from Portugal – last Sunday the borders were affectively closed between them due to the rising cases."
"There is a large rise as well in mortalities. A month ago Spain was seeing 140 deaths a day due to Covid, whereas now it's 400 a day. It's seen a 300 per cent increase."
Spain's total number of coronavirus cases since the pandemic began are 2.8m, with nearly 60,000 deaths – and according to local media, January was the worst month for the pandemic since last summer.
Currently, travelling abroad for a holiday is banned under the new UK lockdown, but this hasn't stopped people travelling for work or health reasons.
Spain has extended the UK travel ban until February 16 as well.
Anyone returning to the UK from Spain currently needs to have a negative coronavirus test, taken no more than 72 hours before, and fill in a Passenger Locator Form.
The rules also mandate a 10-day quarantine at home, but this can be left after five days with a second negative coronavirus test.
If Spain is added to the high-risk list, then arrivals will not be able to leave the 10-day quarantine until the end.
When the new quarantine hotel rules are introduced, rumoured to be by February 15, then anyone returning from Spain will have to pay to stay at a government-mandated hotel for the 10 days, which could cost up to £1,600 per person.
Spain hotel boss Gabriel Escarrer warned that the country won't survive this summer until holidaymakers can return.
He wrote on Twitter: "Spain will not endure a second summer without tourism."
However, Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary has predicted that Brits will "flock to the Spanish beaches" this summer due to the vaccine rollout.
He said, once the vaccination reduces the number of coronavirus-related deaths: "We expect to see a very strong return of British families travelling to the beaches of Spain, Portugal, Italy and Greece in relative safety this summer thanks to the vaccine programme."
Mr O'Leary added: "I think [there will be a] strong return to travel and normality for the travel sector by the end of 2021."
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