The announcement on Wednesday (4 August) saw seven countries added to the green list and four moved from the red list to amber, including the UAE and Qatar – two key transit hubs.

Spain was spared amber plus inclusion as the controversial category was removed altogether - allowing fully vaccinated French arrivals to the UK to avoid quarantine in line with other EU travellers.

Hays said the updates led to a "tremendous" day of business for the company after seeing a high number of enquiries from customers over the past few weeks.

She told Sky News: "The most important thing really is, if you’re going to book, book with a reputable travel agent and have a good look at the insurance policy. That’s the most important thing.

"Travel agents will look after the two things which are most important, one is the health and safety, and second is [the consumers] financial security."

Hays also said the reopening of the United Arab Emirates creates a "great opportunity" to holiday in Dubai and other Eastern countries. 

"It creates an opportunity for people who want to go to the Maldives, the fact the UAE has opened up is great," she added.