Travel And Tour World reports that the Canary Islands – a perennial favourite for British winter-sun incentives – have been **added to a 2026 ‘no-travel’ list announced by the UK Government**. Although framed as advice rather than law, many public-sector bodies and FTSE 100 firms follow the list when approving corporate travel. Bristol Airport, which handles a high volume of Tenerife and Lanzarote rotations, is already seeing re-routing inquiries.
The move, published on 3 January 2026, cites ‘recent government regulations and safety concerns’ without specifying whether the trigger is geopolitical unrest, environmental capacity limits, or health-services pressure. Industry insiders note that the Canaries experienced intermittent water shortages and wild-fire evacuations throughout 2025, which may have influenced risk assessments.
Travellers suddenly changing itineraries might also need fresh paperwork—especially when swapping non-Schengen destinations for Schengen ones—and this is where VisaHQ can smooth the process. Via its UK portal (https://www.visahq.com/united-kingdom/) the firm offers live advisory feeds, Schengen-day trackers and end-to-end ETIAS assistance, helping mobility managers keep programmes compliant while avoiding extra administrative strain.
![Canary Islands placed on UK ‘no-travel’ list for 2026, prompting rerouting of winter incentives]()
For mobility managers, the immediate task is to audit Q1–Q2 off-sites, conferences and reward trips booked for the archipelago. Rebooking fees, fare differential and lost deposits could exceed 30 percent of the original budget if changes are made after airlines finalise summer schedules in mid-January.
Alternative EU destinations with comparable climate profiles – Madeira, the Balearic Islands and parts of mainland southern Spain – remain outside the restriction and within the Schengen zone. However, remember that British employees will need to factor in post-Brexit 90/180-day Schengen limits and, from October 2026, the EU ETIAS travel authorisation.
Tour operators fear that the inclusion of a mainstream European destination foreshadows a more dynamic, data-driven approach to the no-travel list. If so, corporate procurement teams may need to prioritise flexible fares and enhanced cancellation clauses for all incentive travel.
The move, published on 3 January 2026, cites ‘recent government regulations and safety concerns’ without specifying whether the trigger is geopolitical unrest, environmental capacity limits, or health-services pressure. Industry insiders note that the Canaries experienced intermittent water shortages and wild-fire evacuations throughout 2025, which may have influenced risk assessments.
Travellers suddenly changing itineraries might also need fresh paperwork—especially when swapping non-Schengen destinations for Schengen ones—and this is where VisaHQ can smooth the process. Via its UK portal (https://www.visahq.com/united-kingdom/) the firm offers live advisory feeds, Schengen-day trackers and end-to-end ETIAS assistance, helping mobility managers keep programmes compliant while avoiding extra administrative strain.
For mobility managers, the immediate task is to audit Q1–Q2 off-sites, conferences and reward trips booked for the archipelago. Rebooking fees, fare differential and lost deposits could exceed 30 percent of the original budget if changes are made after airlines finalise summer schedules in mid-January.
Alternative EU destinations with comparable climate profiles – Madeira, the Balearic Islands and parts of mainland southern Spain – remain outside the restriction and within the Schengen zone. However, remember that British employees will need to factor in post-Brexit 90/180-day Schengen limits and, from October 2026, the EU ETIAS travel authorisation.
Tour operators fear that the inclusion of a mainstream European destination foreshadows a more dynamic, data-driven approach to the no-travel list. If so, corporate procurement teams may need to prioritise flexible fares and enhanced cancellation clauses for all incentive travel.
