Tourists from the UK will be barred from travelling to the European Union after 1 January due to the current Covid-19 safety restrictions in place, according to a report in The Guardian.

The transition period for Brexit and the UK’s departure from the European Union comes to an end on the New Year, and with no deal agreed between the two parties, the UK will be treated like all other non-EU and non-EEA countries even when it comes to travel.

Only a handful of countries, such as Australia, New Zealand, and South Korea, with low Covid-19 rates are exempt from rules that prohibit non-essential visitors from outside the EU and European Economic Area (EEA) – with the UK included only until the end of the Brexit transition period.

No exemption for the UK seems to be forthcoming, although EU member states can override the European Council recommendations if they wish to, creating corridors with the UK.

This would likely be a blow for the prospects of the tourism industry in Malta, on the basis that the UK is Malta’s largest tourist market.

A spokesperson for the UK government told The Guardian: “We cannot comment on decisions that could be taken by other states on public health matters.

“We take a scientific, risk-based approach to health measures at the border, and it is of course in the interests of all countries to allow safe international travel as we emerge from the pandemic.”