ARCHIVED - Spain aims to bring back subsidised Imserso holidays for pensioners this summer

The Spanish government hopes to be able to allow travel by the summer season, at which point 30-40 per cent of the population should be inoculated against coronavirus.

Spain’s highly-popular cheap holidays for pensioners, known as the Imserso scheme, could be set to make a come-back this summer once the over-65s have all had their coronavirus vaccines, the Minister for Tourism has announced.

The minister explained in an interview on Spanish television that the government hopes to bring the subsidised holidays, which are available to residents in Spain who are over the age of 65 (or over 55 and receive widow’s pensions, or over 60 and receive invalidity or early retirement pensions) forward to the summer. Before the Covid-19 pandemic brought them to a standstill, Imserso holidays were available between October and June and pensioners could often be seen queueing for hours to nab slots for their destinations of choice. The trips were a real bargain, including transport, insurance, entertainment and full board at three- or four-star hotels, often for less than it would cost the pensioners to stay at home.

Initially seen as a way to help hotels at tourist destinations keep ticking over during the off-season as well as a way to provide the elderly with well-deserved breaks, these holidays could now play a vital role in reviving one of the country’s worst-affected sectors.

The Tourism Minister also announced during the interview that Spain’s digital Covid vaccination passport could be ready by May, and as the Spanish government hopes to have between 30 and 40 per cent of the country’s population vaccinated by the summer, this could also help to enable travel to resume.