The hotel shortages came as Dominic Raab, the Justice Secretary, on Sunday admitted that pre-departure tests for travellers flying into the UK would only make a “marginal difference” in stopping the spread of the omicron variant, hours after the Government had reintroduced them amid to an outcry from the travel industry.

He said the tests, which come into place at 4am on Tuesday, were an important precautionary measure as part of a package of “incremental” restrictions that would help avoid having to impose a future lockdown, even though they were “another burden” on hard-pressed travellers.

More than 200 people stuck in South Africa have set up a Facebook group to share their experiences and anger after being told they cannot enter the UK until the DHSC finds more hotel space.

Lauren Hopkins, who runs a recruitment agency, said she faced an extra 11 days stranded in South Africa, telling The Telegraph: “Flights aren’t an issue – it’s getting a hotel quarantine booking that’s keeping us all here. They haven’t put nearly enough on for the amount of us.

“We’ve been trying since Nov 28th to get a booking, with no luck. At the moment, Dec 13 is the earliest availability, meaning we come out Christmas Day and have to fund an extra 11 nights in South Africa.

“In all honesty, I am ashamed to be British. I and hundreds of other British citizens have been completely abandoned by our own government. To say I feel let down is a gross understatement. It’s an utter disgrace.”