Being one of the first destinations to reopen to travelers last year, Jamaica continues to reign in the region as an easily accessible landing pad for sun-seekers. Now—four months after banning direct flights from the United Kingdom (UK)—Jamaica has reopened its borders to Britons alike. The Minister of Tourism, Edmund Bartlett, said on Thursday that when the ban comes to an end on Friday, April 30, it will not be extended. In 2020, the Caribbean island country was forced to put what likely would have been a record-breaking tourism year on hold in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Jamaica has rebounded in the months since by enacting strict protocols designed to keep both visitors and locals safe, much like Belize. For UK travelers eyeing a trip to Jamaica in the months to come, be sure to be fully compliant with health and safety protocols for international travelers.
British Sun-Seekers Could Jet As Early as May 17

Photo © CNN
“On Saturday, May 1, Jamaica will reopen its borders to international visitors from the United Kingdom. This will enable the critical gateways of Heathrow and Gatwick airports, to have transit for passengers coming through and who are fully compliant with health and safety protocols required for international travel.”
– Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett
The ban was instituted as part of the measures under Jamaica’s Disaster Risk Management Act in December 2020, in response to the spread of a COVID-19 strain in the UK, and was extended on several occasions since then. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s roadmap to freedom could see foreign travel resume from May 17. Within, Britons can visit a “green list” of counties where non-essential travel will be allowed next week, including some Caribbean islands, The Maldives, Gibraltar, Malta, and Portugal.
Under the new travel plans, countries will be divided into green, amber, and red lists which will determine rules for quarantine and testing when you return to the UK. Indeed, the green list is the most appealing for holiday-makers: travel would not require self-isolation or quarantine, and could include up to 24 countries.
Additionally, COVID-19 cases have fallen to record lows across England; every region in the country reporting reductions in the infection rate. Meanwhile, the UK has reported one COVID death in its daily figures, with more than 50 million vaccine doses now delivered. The last time coronavirus-related deaths increased by just one was on August 30. The UK’s vaccination figure includes 34,588,600 first vaccine doses and 15,500,949 second doses.