ABTA has said that the government’s plan to cut quarantine by up to two thirds “should help to make overseas travel more attractive”.

Under new guidance, from 15 December travellers arriving into England from countries not featured on the government’s travel corridor list will have the option to take a test after five days of self-isolation, with a negative result releasing them from the need to isolate.

The government is advising travellers to book a test before they travel from a provider on a gov.uk list. Those who do not take a test when arriving from a non-exempt country must continue to follow the current self-isolation requirements of 14 days quarantine.

ABTA chief executive Mark Tanzer said: “The test to release scheme in England should help to make overseas travel more attractive and manageable for both holidaymakers and business travellers.

“We know that Foreign Office advice and quarantine requirements are major impediments to travel, and there is an urgent need to remove these barriers as fast as is compatible with the government’s domestic health strategy.

“The outbound travel industry has been hit early and hard by the pandemic and we hope that test to release will help get people travelling once again.

“There is still more work to be done to get more people travelling and to support the recovery of the sector, including having a testing scheme in place for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, as well as the government moving to a regional approach to quarantine and travel advice.

“It is important that the test to release scheme is kept under review, to make sure that advancements in testing are used to further reduce quarantine to as short a period as possible.”

Announcing the scheme, transport secretary Grant Shapps said: “We have a plan in place to ensure that our route out of this pandemic is careful and balanced, allowing us to focus on what we can now do to bolster international travel while keeping the public safe.

“Our new testing strategy will allow us to travel more freely, see loved ones and drive international business. By giving people the choice to test on day five, we are also supporting the travel industry as it continues to rebuild out of the pandemic.”