From the DW:
“Spain to reopen to foreign
tourists from July”
The Spanish government has hinted
at a possible reopening to foreign tourism this summer. It comes as a raft of
lockdown measures were eased in Madrid and Barcelona on Monday. Spain's Tourism
Minister Reyes Maroto said on Monday that foreign tourists could be allowed to
book vacations in Spain starting in July. The ministers comment comes as Spain
ramps up its lockdown easing across the country. The government expects that
the two-week quarantine imposed on overseas travelers will be suspended by that
time, Maroto said. "It is perfectly coherent to plan summer vacations to
come to Spain in July," Maroto said in an interview with local radio
station Onda Cero. Maroto's comments boosted shares in Spain's tourism-related
stocks, including hotel operator Melia Hotels which rose 14% in early trading. Spain
was one of the worst-hit nations in the coronavirus pandemic, with 235,772
infections. The virus has killed more than 28,700 people — one of the highest
COVID-19 death tolls in the world. As such, the country underwent a strict
lockdowns for two months, in which citizens were only allowed out for essential
business. Only in the past few weeks have Spaniards been able to take their
children out for one hour of play time, as the country began to flatten its
curve. The Spanish government crafted a lockdown-easing plan that consisted of
several phases and which would apply differently to each region, depending on
their status of the epidemic. Tourism is a critical part of the country's
economy. Spain is the world's second-most visited nation and normally draws
some 80 million visitors per year.
Beaches reopen: Ahead of a possible tourism reopening, the
country began opening access to its beaches for residents starting on Monday. Beaches
on the Atlantic Ocean coast and in much of Andalusia, as well as on the
Balearic and Canary Islands, were open for swimming, but under strict safety
measures. Although each region will set its own rules, the Health Ministry has
recommended limiting the number of visitors, creating boundaries and spacing
beach umbrellas four meters apart. For now, beaches are only available to local
residents, but the next phase would open them up to domestic travelers from
different regions.
Madrid and Barcelona back to life: Residents of the hard-hit capital Madrid
were allowed back into its signature Retiro city park on Monday. A few bars and
restaurant terraces were also allowed to reopen. People in both Barcelona and
Madrid can now meet in groups of up to 10 people in their homes or on the
terraces of reopened bars and restaurants. Major museums will be able to
receive a limited number of visitors starting today. The Madrid and Barcelona
regions are the most populated in the country and have been put on a slower
deconfinement track, as they bore the brunt of the pandemic in Spain.
^ It’s good when a country opens-up to foreign
tourists since it shows the country is up and running and welcoming to the
outside world. ^
https://www.dw.com/en/spain-to-reopen-to-foreign-tourists-from-july/a-53557976
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.