From Reuters:
“Bienvenidos! Tourists invited
to rural Spain to save dying villages”
(A villager drinks coffee at the
only bar in Peleas de Abajo, in northwestern Spain, March 8, 2012.)
Instead of the traditional sand
and sea holidays, foreign tourists are invited to enjoy the charms of the
Spanish countryside, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Saturday, launching
an ambitious plan to save Spain's dying villages. The 10 billion euro ($12.18
billion) plan aims to save rural life in a nation where 42% of villages are at
risk of depopulation compared to a European Union average of 10%. "I would
especially like to emphasize that (tourists) should enjoy the rich rural
tourist attractions that our country has, one of the jewels in the crown,"
Sanchez told a meeting in Madrid of mayors from rural towns.
From Monday, Spain will open up
to tourists from outside the European Union deemed low-risk for coronavirus,
notably Britain and Japan, who will not be required to show a negative test. And from June 7, Spain will let people from
anywhere in the world who are vaccinated against COVID-19 enter the country,
hoping to galvanise a recovery in the devastated tourism sector. Improving
digital connectivity for rural holiday companies is part of the plan, which
also envisages expanding sustainable tourism. The left-wing government plans to
increase internet access in rural areas, improve transport routes, offer grants
for young entrepreneurs and small businesses and launch a rural Erasmus
educational scheme. Sanchez said that Spain's 47 million people occupy just
12.7% of the land, compared to 67.8% of the territory populated in France and
59.9% of German territory. Many rural villages have an average density of less
than 12 people per square kilometre, the government estimates.
^ Many rural areas (in Spain and around
the world) are being hard-hit by Covid – cases, hospitalizations, deaths and restrictions
– and need Government help to survive until things get back to normal. ^
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