All foreign holidaymakers are welcome from July 1st onwards in Spain.

Spain will welcome back foreign holidaymakers in July, says PM Pedro Sánchez at a press briefing on Saturday.

“Start planning your holidays in Spain”, Pedro Sánchez told foreign tourists adding that the industry would resume “with full health guarantees”

Tourists will be able to come to Spain again from July “in conditions of safety”, prime minister Pedro Sánchez announced at a press conference on Saturday.

“Tourism is a vital sector for the Spanish economy,” said Sánchez, encourging professionals in the sector to “prepare for activity to resume in coming days” and for when Spain reopens its frontiers to international tourism in July.

“There will be a tourist season this summer,” said the prime minister, adding that the domestic market would return first.

He called for people in Spain to plan their holidays and to make the most of the “wonders” this country has to offer tourists. Many will be able to do this “very soon, from the end of June, onwards,” he said.

From 22 June the government is to create “safe corridors” to link areas of Spain that have moved into Phase Three of the plan to ease lockdown restrictions as well as with some European cities.

In terms of tourists coming from other countries, Sánchez confirmed what government minister Teresa Ribera said on Thursday, that activity would be able to resume in July. This would happen “in conditions of safety” he said, adding that tourists could “start planning their holidays in Spain now”.

“Spain needs tourism and tourism needs safety [in the countries of] origin and safety in the destination, and for that reason we will guarantee that tourists are not at risk here and that they don’t bring risks to our country,” said Sánchez.

“Health is not inconsistent with business; without health there is no business, and that’s why the government will combine its firm financial support for the sector with full health guarantees,” added the prime minister.

Sánchez sent out the following message to foreign tourists: “Spain will be waiting for you from the month of July, and whoever comes to Spain, can be sure that they are coming to a land that has health guarantees and that is committed to the sustainability of our planet.”

Quarantine uncertainty

The tourism industry has previously warned that Spain’s 14-day quarantine rule in force for anyone entering the country is likely to send holidaymakers to rival destinatations such as Italy or Greece. Both countries have said that when they open to foreign tourists (in June for Italy and or July for Greece) there will be no self-isolation requirements.

Spain’s quarantine rule will in theory last as long as the state of alarm is in place, the most recent extension being until 7 June.

May 2020