Malta has finally been added to the UK’s travel ‘green list’. This means that travellers to Malta will not have to quarantine upon their return to the UK.

UK Transport Minister Grant Shapps has just announced on Twitter that Malta is among the countries that will be added to the green list, after weeks on the amber list.

Until now, travelling to Malta was discouraged and travellers had to spend 10 days in quarantine upon their arrival in the UK.

Speaking to TheJournal.mt, Malta’s Minister for Tourism Clayton Bartolo said that “This news is of crucial importance for the tourism sector. Our commitment remains that of diversifying our tourist base that is safe both for incoming tourists and the Maltese public in general.” 

Malta had hoped to be added to the green list in the previous revision earlier this month but a “heated” Cabinet meeting in Downing Street led to Malta’s omission from the list after what the UK Sunday Times described as a row between Transport Minister Grant Shapps and Health Minister Mat Hancock.

This decision is welcome news for Malta’s tourism industry, especially since the UK is Malta’s biggest tourism market.