(TAN): Spain will reopen to international tourists from July, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said in a national address, according to reports.
He reportedly added that the tourism sector should start preparing for the approaching summer season and Spaniards could plan for their getaways, while the government will ensure the safety of visitors and residents.
“As you know, Spain receives more than 80 million visitors a year. I am announcing that from July, Spain will reopen for foreign tourism in conditions of safety. Foreign tourists can also start planning their holidays in our country. Spain needs tourism, and tourism needs safety in both origin and destination. We will guarantee that tourists will not run any risks, nor will they bring any risk to our country,” he was quoted by Schengen Visa Info as saying.
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Overseas tourists will reportedly no longer be required to quarantine themselves for two weeks on arrival starting July 1. Presently, overseas arrivals are undergoing the 14-day isolation rule, reports said.
“The worst is behind us. In July we will gradually open Spain to international tourists, lift the quarantine, [and] ensure the highest standards of health safety. We look forward to welcoming you!” Foreign Minister Arancha Gonzalez Laya was quoted by The Telegraph UK as saying.
Prime Minister Sanchez also announced that football leagues would resume from June 8, as Spain, the fourth-worst hit country in the world, emerges from one of Europe’s strictest COVID-19 lockdowns, as per reports.
“The hardest part is over… We’re sending everyone a message today: Spain will be waiting for you from July,” Schengen Visa Info quoted him as saying.
So far, Spain has reported 245,400 cases of infection, including 26,834 deaths, according to the Johns Hopkins University COVID-19 dashboard. The pandemic also triggered economic problems – unemployment went up in March and April owing to a collapse in demand, especially in the travel sector.
The Prime Minister reportedly said his government would provide a minimum basic income scheme worth EUR 3 billion (USD 3.27 billion approximately) to households most affected by the pandemic, starting in June.
“It will cost around EUR 3bn a year and will help four out of five people in severe poverty and benefit close to 850,000 households, half of which include children. Neither the government nor Spanish society is going to look the other way while our compatriots queue up to eat, as we are sadly seeing now in some parts of the country,” he was quoted by The Guardian as saying.
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