A new website, www.LockdownIndex.com, has been launched to help travellers and holiday-makers find a destination that is open for tourists from the UK. 

The website also provides detailed information for every country in the world including whether public transport is operating, shops, restaurants, beaches, tourist attractions and clubs are open, whether COVID testing is required before or after entry, and any quarantine regulations. 

The website was designed by a group of seven students, six of whom were originally at school together in Manchester, with the final member coming from Liverpool.  The seven friends are now at all at different universities, and were planning their own summer travels when they realised they needed a one-stop shop for travel information.  

Harry Margolis, who now studies Liberal Arts and Natural Sciences at the University of Birmingham, said: “We found it impossible to keep up with the constant changes to travel advice.  Even more confusing, the information was coming from so many different sources.  We soon realised we were not the only people in this situation, and that there is a need for a single website showing which countries are open to travellers from the UK, and what tourists will find when they get there.”

The country-specific information is regularly updated with information from governments, foreign ministries and trusted news sources, with daily updates for the most popular tourist destinations.  Additional updates are made whenever feedback is left by users.

LockdownIndex also shows airport status from the International Civil Aviation Authority, and Coronavirus statistics from the Johns Hopkins University COVID-19 case tracker. 

Visitors to the website can sign up for a weekly email newsletter that provides alerts on key changes during the last week. 

Harry added: “Air bridges, air corridors, border controls and quarantine are huge learning curve for people who just want to take a break and travel over the summer.  We’re aiming to make the decision about where to go easier, so people can plan their travel, book their flights, pack their bags and go.”

ENDS

Media enquiries to:  Ruth Ashton, University of Birmingham Enterprise, r.c.ashton@bham.ac.uk.

About www.lockdownindex.com