Shapps: 'We don't want to kill off travel sector with pre-arrival tests'

"I believe in transport and I don’t want to see a world where we’re always finding excuses to restrict it. Of course, you’ve got to respond responsibly. That’s what I think we’ve done."

Families, he said, should book overseas holidays as long as their bookings were flexible "and that where you stay respects whatever is happening at the time – go book. But just know that you’ve got the insurance in place".

Shapps also insisted the UK government had not overreacted around the threat of the Omicron variant and had offered a “calibrated” response by placing a number of countries on the red list and requiring face masks in shops and public transport.