There is only one glaring problem. With millions of Britons flying for an Easter getaway and millions more finishing touches on their summer vacation, Spain remains one of Europe’s last strongholds of Covid travel restrictions. As it turns out, adult Britons must have received two doses of the vaccine – or, if their second vaccine was more than 270 days before – three, if they want to see it. With 14 per cent of UK residents over the age of 12 rejecting a second vaccine and 32.5 per cent refusing a souvenir, that means a huge chunk of the UK population – possibly over 10 million people – is banned to enter the country. In addition, unvaccinated children aged 12-17 can only be visited with negative test evidence, while Spain’s mask requirements – which many find repulsive – remain among the strictest on the continent. Pedro Medina, deputy director of the Spanish Tourism Bureau, acknowledged the prolonged Covid barriers in his country and said it was “hopeful” that the rules would be “amended soon – certainly in time for the summer, or even sooner”. However, just 24 hours later it was announced that the existing restrictions had been extended for another month – at least until April 30. The situation seems even more worrying for the Spanish tourism sector when one looks at what is happening in other parts of Europe. A growing number of countries – including Ireland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Iceland and Montenegro (see below) – follow the example of the United Kingdom by removing all travel restrictions and, in many cases, mask orders. Even France – which has barred unmarried citizens from public life for months – is loosening its rules, with Covid passports being abolished and unvaccinated / unenforced visitors allowed with negative test scores. Malta has been following suit since April 10, leaving Spain as the only Mediterranean country to ban the British entirely on the basis of their vaccination regime. All this could jeopardize the country’s tourism recovery. Julia Lo Bue-Said, CEO of Advantage Travel Partnership, suggested that holidaymakers simply vote on their own. “The British are once again accustomed to living without Covid restrictions and will begin to avoid any countries where restrictions still apply,” he said. “Nothing less than lifting all remaining restrictions – for both vaccinated and unvaccinated travelers – will prevent millions from flocking to other destinations this summer.”
So when will the rules of Spain change?
The Spanish Ministry of Health has confirmed that the current rules will remain in force until April 30, but there is no guarantee that this expiration date will not be extended again. However, Paul Charles, CEO of travel consultant The PC Agency, said he would be surprised if they persist after the end of the month. “Destinations challenging the abolition of Covid travel rules are already suffering from a loss of market share, as consumers choose to book in countries that are easier and cheaper to reach,” he added. “The more they endure the unnecessary rules, the more they will feel the pain of bookings going to their competitors.” Given Spain’s current reluctance to return to normalcy, the complete lifting of restrictions seems doubtful. Unvaccinated or unreinforced people looking for the sun would be more likely to be accepted if they undergo PCR testing. These are the rules that currently apply to unvaccinated children aged 12-17 who wish to visit Spain.
