Spain ‘desperate’ to welcome back British holidaymakers, says tourism minister

Hopes that deal can be struck with UK to allow breaks later in summer
Tourists enjoy the beach at the Spanish Balearic Island of Mallorca
AP

Spain’s tourism minister today said his country is “desperate” to welcome back millions of British holidaymakers.

Fernando Valdés stressed Spain would be ready to open its doors to large scale tourism this summer.

He told Sky News: “We are desperate to welcome you this summer.

“I think we will be ready here in Spain and we also think that things on the vaccination scheme of the UK are going pretty well.

“So, hopefully we will be seeing this summer the restart of holidays.”

He hopes a deal can be struck with the UK in June to allow breaks later in the summer.

“I believe (vaccine) certificates is going to help us,” he added.

“Since the beginning of the pandemic we have been trying to put in place different means to help safe tourism.

“Now I think we are ready because vaccinations have changed a huge deal from what we had last summer.”

He explained that “constant conversations” were taking place between Madrid and London on reopening tourism.

It was reported today that vaccinated Britons will be able to holiday in European countries – including Spain, Greece and Portugal - which are preparing to open their borders to tourists from next month.

The European Union plan, said to be codenamed ‘gettogether’, hopes to let vaccinated travellers move between countries avoiding the need for tests or quarantine.

It is thought that the UK will be among the first to be allowed in through the vaccine passport scheme because of its jab programme, with June being discussed as a start date.

SPAIN-GERMANY-HEALTH-TOURISM-PANDEMIC-HOTEL
AFP via Getty Images

Ministers in Britain are considering how to relax restrictions to allow foreign travel from late spring and summer.

They are due to announce within weeks which countries will be classed as “red”, “amber” and “green” under a traffic light system linked to coronavirus risks and the level of quarantine and testing that will be required.

Under the system, each country will be given a colour coding based on the percentage of their population that has been vaccinated, the rate of infection, the prevalence of variants of concern, and its access to reliable scientific data and genomic sequencing.

It would mean that for:

  • “Green” countries: Arrivals will need to take a pre-departure test as well as a PCR test on or before day 2 of their arrival back into England - but will not need to quarantine on return (unless they receive a positive result).
  • “Amber” countries: Arrivals will need to quarantine for a period of ten days and take a pre-departure test, and a PCR test on day 2 and day 8 with the option for Test to Release on day 5 to end self-isolation early
  • “Red” countries: Arrivals will be subject to restrictions currently in place for ‘red list’ countries which include a ten-day stay in a managed quarantine hotel, pre-departure testing and PCR testing on day 2 and 8.

Britain is a world-leader in rolling out the vaccine, having done so far quicker than other European countries.

Mr Valdés, though, stressed nearly ten million people had had a least one Covid-19 jab in Spain and that restrictions under a “state of alarm” were due to be lifted from May 9.

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