LONDON - British ministers plan to warn holidaymakers against visiting destinations such as Spain and may create a new list of countries at high risk of moving to the government's quarantine list, The Times newspaper reported.

Britain has one of the fastest vaccination programmes in the world but the government has effectively prevented travel to many countries by imposing a maze of different rules that the travel industry says is hobbling Britain's economy.

Finance Minister Rishi Sunak has written to Prime Minister Boris Johnson calling for an urgent easing of travel restrictions which he said were damaging the economy, The Sunday Times reported.

Under current rules, which will be reviewed on Thursday, double-vaccinated travellers can return from amber-list countries without quarantining, but those returning from red-list countries must pay 1,750 pounds to spend ten days in a hotel.

An amber watchlist was due to be signed off at a meeting on Thursday but a split in the government could delay a decision, The Times said.

Spain would be put on the new list under the plans, a move that would be likely to cause an exodus of up to 1 million British tourists who are on holiday there, The Times reported.

A spokesman for Britain's transport ministry declined to comment. He did not say when the ministry would be commenting.

Matt Warman, a junior minister for digital infrastructure, said the travel rules provided people with the information to make informed decisions about travel.

(Reporting by Guy Faulconbridge; Editing by Kate Holton) ((guy.faulconbridge@thomsonreuters.com; 07825218698;))