Under intense pressure from a tourist industry looking into the abyss, Spanish President Pedro Sánchez announced today that Spain will open its borders to foreign tourists under “conditions of safety” in July. So things are looking up a little bit for owners of holiday-homes in Spain.
“There will be a tourist season this summer,” he promised in a press conference earlier today at La Moncloa, the President’s official residence, noting the “fundamental importance” of the industry to the Spanish economy, and its “enormous internal prestige.”
Without providing any details as to how this will all work, Sánchez suggested Spain will only be open to tourists from “safe destinations” who don’t bring the Covid-19 virus with them to Spain and create a “risk for the local population.”
The Spanish press reports the government is looking at establishing safety procedures with Germany, the UK, France, and Italy to facilitate the arrival of tourists from those destinations.
“We will guarantee that tourists will not run any risk, and will not bring us any risks,” he said. “There is no contradiction between health and business. Spanish tourism will now have two new hallmarks: environmental sustainability and health security.”
Prepare to open up “in a few days”
He issued a call to “all our tourist establishments, the bars and restaurants, those in beach destinations and those inland, that they start preparing from today to open up in a few days.”
The Spanish government was banking on local tourism to save the industry from total collapse this year, but now has moved toward opening up to foreign tourism. “Tourists abroad can also start planning their holidays in our country from today,” said Sánchez.
When the government introduced a two week quarantine on all foreign visitors starting on the 15th of May, the tourist industry association Exceltur warned it would ruin the summer holiday season this year, and drive thousands of companies out of business.
As competitor destinations in Europe like Italy, Portugal, and Greece announced concrete measures to open up to foreign tourism this summer, the Spanish tourist industry put the government under intense pressure to follow suit. Big European tour operators are selling holidays in countries where the rules are clear.
Italy has announced it is open for tourists from the 3 of June without any quarantine measures in place, and Greece is open from July 1 without quarantine. The Spanish tourist industry saw a rapid change in bookings towards the competition, and pushed the government into an urgent change of policy.
However, little detail has been provided by the Spanish government as to how this will work in practise, whilst social distancing is still in place. How will Sánchez guarantee everyone’s safety? According to Spanish press reports, the plan relies on negotiating tourism arrangements with emissary countries like the UK and Germany. Much could go wrong with this plan.
84 million tourists visited Spain in 2019, contributing 92 billion euro to the Spanish economy – some 12% of GDP, the single biggest contribution by sector. Tourism has been completely shuttered since mid-March, and income for the sector was zero in April, according to the latest official statistics.
Social distancing rules still in force make holiday-homes an obvious choice
Even if it is possible to holiday in Spain from July onwards, travel restrictions will make it difficult and expensive to get to Spain, and social distancing rules will make it difficult and expensive for tourist businesses to operate. Social distancing means that hotels and restaurants will have to stay half empty, and many of them might not be viable under these circumstances.
If I was booking a summer holiday in Spain now I would be looking at renting a holiday-home somewhere I could reach by car. A holiday home means less trouble with social distancing, and Catalonia’s Costa Brava and Empordà region are the obvious choice for the shortest drive to the Spanish Mediterranean coast. The Spanish north coast in the Basque Country, Cantabria, and Asturias might also make sense this year.
Even if Spain is open for holidays by July, there might still be regional and provincial restrictions in place you should look into before you travel.
rgetmo says:
Hi.
Does anyone know the date on July when we can fly to Spain?
Thanks
Mark Stücklin says:
There is not information yet on that question. We’ll have to wait and see. It might well vary from country to country, depending upon what the Spanish government agrees with different countries like the UK and Germany. Keep checking back here as I’ll report it as soon as I know.
MarkDavid says:
Before governments open their countries to “selective” tourism, I hope they realise that they leave themselves open to accusations of murder if one single resident dies from Covid 19 linked directly to infection from an incoming holidaymaker. No matter how much economies rely on tourism, there would be no tourists without local people providing the services which tourists need. Should we really accept “trade-offs” between economics and people’s lives?
The only safe way – which is still far from infallible – is to demand that new cases of Covid 19 are zero in Spain and in incoming tourists’ countries for at least 14 consecutive days before doors are gradually and cautiously opened. In short, lives are more important than livelihoods.
John Jay says:
“We will guarantee that tourists will not run any risk, and will not bring us any risks,” he said.
I can’t believe this particular part got the go ahead for inclusion in his speech!
This will come back to bite him & his advisors who worded & / or proof read the draft and gave it their backing….
Steve Mann says:
This all sounds like a financially induced panic..
If we fly to Spain from the U.K., do we still have to self-isolate when we come back? not much use if at work, and the answers seem vague.
I would hate to be in my spanish house, (with a communal pool), if we cant swim, and we are told that the pool might, (or might not), be open in August, and IF it is, will probably be subject to time limits and some sort of social distancing. Sitting indoors with the aircon watching DVD’s? Might as well stay here…save the car hire costs..