Hotels in Mallorca have begun to close as the island offers hope that the UK will revoke Spain’s quarantine rules. The Commonwealth and Foreign Affairs Office (FCO) is currently advising in the 12th position on non-essential for Spain, adding the Balearic and Canary Islands, based on COVID-19’s existing threat assessment in the country. Anyone returning from Spain will have to isolate themselves for 14 days upon return to the UK.
Strict regulations have shown that British tourists’ plans are falling into chaos.
With many holidays cancelled in Spain, many Britons now decide to spend their holidays in other countries such as Greece and Turkey, where regulations are less stringent.
Unfortunately, this has had a negative impact on tourism in Spain.
According to the most recent knowledge of the Spanish Institute of Tourism, Turespaia, reserves for Spain have fallen by 80% since the British government re-imposed quarantine.
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Hoteliers in Mallorca, in the Balearic Islands, were waiting for a deadline of 10 August for a resolution on the revocation of quarantine, but they were devastated by the lack of smart news and say they can no longer endure it.
Balearic hotels said they could start competing with massive discounts of more than 50% in rival countries, Turkey and Greece.
Both countries “take all fiscal and economic measures to bring them closer to British and German tourism,” hoteliers say.
The president of the hotel federation of Mallorca, María Frontera, said that the hotels had to close now, just six weeks before the general holiday season.
One of the first hotels on the island is a favorite of the British, the four-star Fergus Style Hotel Beach, in Puerto de Saller, Mallorca.
The hotel announced in English on its Facebook site: “We come to you with such news, expensive friends: due to the latest COVID measures taken by the British government, we still have no option to close the hotel for this season.
“We are devastated and we know that many of you will be, too. We hope that everyone will remain safe, positive and eager to come as soon as things get better, if this year, next year (sic)”.
The Costa del Sol, on the Spanish peninsula, also faces a erasing season while quarantine remains in force.
Hoteliers on the Costa del Sol estimate that 90% of UK bookings have been cancelled.
Many hotels are expected to close or reopen this month.
However, Tenerife continues to push to reverse because the peak season in the Canary Islands begins in October “so there is still time”, according to the government of the island.
We hope that quarantine will be reversed so that the tourist activity, which had been reactivated, with encouraging results, can be reactivated for the winter campaign,” said tourism advisor José Gregorio Martín Plata.
The British government’s strict position on Spain “is evidenced by an increase in COVID-19 cases in several regions, namely in Aragon, Navarra and Catalonia (which come with the towns of Zaragoza, Pamplona and Barcelona)”, said the FCO. .
While Britons don’t like non-essential travel, tourists aren’t told to come home early.
“The FCO does not advise those already traveling to Spain to leave at this time,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
“Travellers deserve to stick to the local government’s recommendation on the most productive way to protect themselves and others, adding the measures they introduce against the virus.”
Additional reports through Rita Sobot