Grant Shapps has become the first senior politician to break ranks and declare he is taking a summer holiday abroad this year.
The Transport Secretary said he and his wife Belinda had decided to take advantage of the relaxation of Foreign Office guidance on non-essential overseas travel.
“My wife looked at all of these new changes that were made and has now booked a break for the first time for a couple of years,” he told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme.
Senior politicians had previously been queuing up to signal they would be staying in the UK after the coronavirus pandemic threw international travel plans into disarray.
Earlier this week Boris Johnson – who spent new year in the Caribbean with his fiancee Carrie Symonds – confirmed he had opted for a “staycation”.
“This country is uniquely blessed with fantastic places to holiday, whether coastal or otherwise,” he told reporters on Monday.
“And I am certainly going to be doing that, but I won’t necessarily tell you where at this stage.”
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and Chancellor Rishi Sunak have also said they will be staying put.
As far back as May, Health Secretary Matt Hancock announced he would be remaining in the UK, amid fears that foreign holidays would be off the cards completely this year.
The UK's expected air bridge partner nations - in pictures
Mr Shapps had previously warned that anyone booking a holiday for August would be taking a chance, but he told the Today programme: “Of course, since that time the Foreign and Commonwealth Office have been able to change their travel advice.
“We have established air bridges or international travel corridors to a number of different countries allowing that to happen.
“These are personal choices but we have issued guidance now for airlines to ensure that people can travel in a Covid-safe manner as well.
“So there is much more structure in place now as we approach the summer.”
The government advised against all but essential travel since March, but this advice has been lifted for destinations that ''no longer pose an unacceptably high risk'' for British travellers.
Earlier this month a series of so-called “air bridges” opened to more than 50 countries, including popular holiday destinations France, Spain and Italy, meaning travellers are exempt from quarantine upon their return in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
The 14-day self-isolation requirement remains in force for nations still hard-hit by the virus including the US, Canada and much of the Americas.