BRITS wanting to head abroad this summer need to add two important dates to their diaries, the Transport Secretary has said.
Grant Shapps revealed the important dates as eager Brits look to book their next holiday.
An official date to when holidays abroad can go ahead, and the lockdown ban on non-essential travel end, is yet to be given.
However, Mr Shapps said that dates in both April and May will be key regarding when an overseas holiday can happen.
He told Good Morning Britain: "The travel sector has obviously had a terrible time of it but of course people are desperate to get a break after the year we've had.
"I've got something called the Global Travel Taskforce (GTT) set up right now. What we're doing is looking into all these questions in order to be able to report back.
"[There are] two dates for the diary – the 12th of April is when the GTT will report back on the practicalities of restarting international travel.
"And it wont be legal until at least the earliest date – the 17th May, that's stepthree of the unlock – before people will be able to travel abroad.
"And that's the earliest possible date. So it doesn't matter if other countries say yes you can come, it wouldn't be legal to go and take that holiday until then."
He refused to say whether Brits can safely book a holiday for June or July.
Mr Shapps added: "Just to explain the complexity of this, we know that the UK has the world-leading rollout of vaccines, 43 per cent of adults have now been vaccinated, which is incredible.
"But there's nowhere else in major economies or in Europe at all that have got to those sorts of levels, so one of the things we are going to have to look at is how vaccinated are destination locations."
Other travel experts have warned that holidays abroad may be delayed due to the vaccine rollout elsewhere.
Popular holiday destinations such as Spain and Greece have both said they want to welcome Brits back from May.
However, both countries are lagging behind the UK in their vaccine rollout, with less than eight per cent having the first jab.
Thankfully, UK holidays can go ahead from next month, with self-catered bookings from one household from April 12.
Group holidays and hotel breaks in the UK can restart from May 17.
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