The British government is scrapping the “traffic light” system among other changes in a major simplification of its rules for international travel, after constant complaints from travellers and businesses about the cumbersomeness of the country’s regulations aimed at staving off the spread of COVID-19.

UK Transport Secretary Grant Shapps announced changes on Friday, saying that the “simpler, more straightforward system” would allow “more people to travel, see loved ones or conduct business around the world while providing a boost for the travel industry,” the Associated Press reported

Shapps credited the ability of the UK to make these changes to the country’s high vaccination rate. Almost 82% of people 16 and up in the UK are fully vaccinated.

Shapps said the UK is scrapping its “traffic light” system that ranks countries as red, amber, or green — high, medium, or low risk from the coronavirus. This categorisation has been subject to intense criticism as sudden changes to countries’ status have caused headaches for thousands of travellers.

The government has announced a two-tier system from October 4, with several dozen countries where COVID-19 is widespread classed as red, and the remainder as open. Eight countries will be removed from the red list on Wednesday. These countries are Turkey, Pakistan, the Maldives, Egypt, Sri Lanka, Oman, Bangladesh, and Kenya.

Fully vaccinated arrivals to England from open countries will no longer have to take a COVID-19 test before travelling. Travellers will still need a test after landing. From the end of October, an inexpensive lateral flow test will be enough for entry, rather than a more sensitive – but pricier – PCR test.

Unvaccinated travellers will still have to self-isolate for 10 days, as well as taking coronavirus tests before and after their trips.

Britain said it will recognise vaccinations given in 17 more countries, including Australia, Canada, Japan, and South Korea in what is seen as a major boost to the tourism industry. It previously had recognised only shots given in the UK, the US, and the European Union.

The announced changes apply to England alone as Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland set their own public health policies. The Scottish government said it would adopt the same travel-list rules as England, but retain the requirement for pre-departure tests due to “significant concerns” about public health.

Airlines and travel businesses have complained that Britain’s complicated and expensive requirements are keeping people away and hampering recovery from the pandemic. Heathrow Airport said this week that it had fallen from Europe’s busiest airport in 2019 to 10th-busiest now, behind rivals in cities such as Amsterdam, Paris, and Frankfurt.

Dale Keller, chief executive of the Board of Airline Representatives in the UK welcomed the changes. He said they would “help restore traveler confidence and set the aviation, travel and tourism sectors on what is still a long road to recovery,” according to the Associated Press. 

British Airways chief executive Sean Doyle urged the government to go further and remove all testing requirements for fully vaccinated travelers.

“Based on the scientific evidence, with fewer than 1% of people returning from low-risk countries testing positive for COVID — lower than the UK’s rate — we urge ministers to keep this policy under review, eliminating all testing for fully vaccinated travelers as soon as possible in the future, in line with most other European countries,” Doyle said.