The Govern, the Mallorca Hotel Business Federation (FEHM) and the Balearic Hotel Chains Group (ACH) show their satisfaction after the announcements by President Sánchez, which added to “the elimination of barriers to mobility for Spaniards” – those vaccinated with a dose and those who suffered the disease may come with an antigen or without a test -, underline the entrepreneurs, represent a great step to “clear up uncertainty” and start the 2021 season. They are the necessary instruments to advance in the capture of reservations, both hoteliers and tour operators.
The light is seen, waiting for the United Kingdom to move on June 7 and include the islands in its green travel traffic light, to eliminate the quarantine upon return.
In his presentation at Fitur, Sánchez assured that with the covid digital certificate, safe mobility will be achieved within the European Union “this same summer.” The certificate is free and by means of a QR code it will provide information on whether the person traveling is vaccinated, has had the disease or has a negative PCR result. The autonomous communities will be in charge of issuing, sealing and delivering the certificates in electronic or paper format.
Brussels ‘Acceleration’
“They are issued by the CC AA because it is the one that controls the vaccination and certifies it,” explains Negueruela, and the document, digital or on paper, will bear three stamps: the EU, the central government and the Balearic Islands, in the case of the islands. To know more details you have to wait, explains the minister.
The implementation of the certificate is “essential” for the archipelago, to continue guaranteeing that we are a safe destination, “declares Negueruela celebrating a long-awaited” acceleration “by Brussels, whose bureaucracy was exasperating the tourism sector with the central summer months to around the corner.
Also yesterday the Official State Gazette published the order of the Ministry of the Interior that allows, as of May 24, the entry of travelers from safe non-EU countries without health controls, which includes, in addition to the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Israel, South Korea, Thailand, Rwanda, China and Japan. “Now we are waiting for» Boris Johnson “to authorize coming, removing restrictions for the return trip, something we hope for the next few weeks,” says Negueruela.
And, as of June 7, tourists from all countries with which there is not full freedom of movement, such as the United States, will be able to enter Spain, with a certificate of the complete schedule of a vaccine authorized by the European Agency for Medicines or WHO.
Pedro Sánchez’s advertisements are for tour operators and hoteliers a stimulus for reservations
Regarding the EU, travelers from safe countries, those listed in green according to the classification of the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control, will not have to meet health entry requirements, but travelers from the rest will have to due to the incidence of covid and, among which priority markets for the Balearic Islands are included, such as Germany, the Netherlands, France or the Nordics, the minister clarifies; the requirement of negative PCR is maintained, in case, as of June 7, they have not received the two doses of the vaccine.
Tour operators follow this avalanche of expectant events and hoping that this mandatory PCR is also made more flexible, for unvaccinated tourists who want to travel.
And the wholesalers, such as the hotel management, are waiting for these and “other variables to be a powerful stimulus for reservations” and for hotel openings.
“Confidence” in an upcoming restart of international cruises
Negueruela addresses the future reopening of the lines with the employers of the sector in Fitur. The Minister of Economic Model, Tourism and Labor, Iago Negueruela, and the General Director of Tourism of the Government, Rosana Morillo, held a meeting yesterday in Fitur with the director of the International Association of Cruise Lines in Spain (CLIA), Alfredo Serrano .
As reported by the Ministry in a statement, the meeting served to give continuity to the meetings that have been taking place with the sector from the islands for months to advance in the restart of activity in the face of the national reopening that companies such as TUI have already announced for the Balearic Islands Cruises or Aida, as well as the future opening of the activity to international lines.
After Sánchez’s announcement yesterday about the reopening of borders to tourists from any vaccinated country, “confidence increases in a forthcoming restart of international cruise activity, always safely and gradually,” said Negueruela.
For its part, the ‘Yes to cruises’ platform valued the opening of borders to issuing countries and pointed out that “it sees in the words of the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, a first step to repeal the Merchant Marine regulations and allow international cruises are activated ». “Although it is not specified that it is applicable to all means of transport, we want to understand that this will be the case because otherwise a new comparative offense would be committed,” he said ‘Yes to cruises’.
The platform’s spokesperson, Alex Fraile, recalled that the European Union issued a regulation “that allowed cruise ships that complied with security protocols to return to their activity, because competing destinations in the Mediterranean were already operating successfully.” “For this reason our demands are just and necessary,” he added.
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