Holidaymakers are facing uncertainty this summer after visitors to Spain were left fuming at being told they must quarantine when they return home.

The Government has stood by its decision to strike Spain off the UK’s list of safe destinations after it saw a spike in the number of coronavirus cases.

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said the Government "can’t make apologies" for the decision made on Saturday, which was announced less than five hours before coming into force, that arrivals from Spain and its islands would have to self-isolate for 14 days.

Speaking to Sky News' Sophy Ridge On Sunday programme, Mr Raab also refused to rule out rescinding further so-called travel corridors.

He said: "As we’ve found with Spain, we can’t give a guarantee."

The Foreign Secretary added that there was "an element of uncertainty this summer if people go abroad£

There could be new lockdowns in other European countries as the number of new infections rises.

French health authorities said at the weekend that the country’s R-rate was up to 1.3 and that daily new infections on Friday had risen to 1,130,indicators resembling those seen in May, when France was coming out of its strict two-month lockdown.

The decision to reimpose restrictions on Spain left holidaymakers frustrated, with some saying they would not have travelled if they knew they would have to spend a fortnight self-isolating afterwards.

Close to 1.8 million holidays were likely to have been thrown into chaos by the move, according to travel company The PC Agency, which analysed the number of seats booked on flights leaving the UK for Spain between July 26 and August 31.

Trips to France, Italy and Greece are already being cancelled following the ruling by ministers on Spain, a development likely to heap further pressure on an already under-strain travel sector.

Meanwhile tour operator Tui said that, due to the change in the Government’s travel advice, it was cancelling all holidays to mainland Spain up to and including August 9.

Labour shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth criticised the Government’s handling of the affair, labelling it "frankly shambolic", and called for financial support for those now forced to shut themselves away after their arrival home.

The Transport Secertary Grant Shapps is currently in Spain and will join thousands of others in being forced to isolate for two weeks on his return to Britain.

Spanish ministers revealed they were in talks with the UK about exempting the Canary and Balearic islands, which include Ibiza and Majorca, from the requirement to self-isolate for two weeks due to lower infection rates in those regions.

The Foreign Office guidance advising against all but essential travel to mainland Spain does not include the islands but ministers opted to apply blanket quarantine arrangements across the Spanish territories.

Foreign minister Arancha Gonzalez Laya argued Spain had coronavirus outbreaks "perfectly controlled" after the European country recorded more than 900 fresh daily Covid-19 cases for two days running before Saturday’s travel corridor suspension.

Ms Gonzalez Laya said: "Spain is a safe country for tourists and Spaniards.

"Like in any other European country we are seeing outbreaks – the outbreaks in Spain are perfectly controlled."