ARCHIVED - Dutch government adds to Spanish tourism woes and warns against travel to the Balearic and Canary Islands
3.7 million Dutch visitors came to Spain in 2019 before the pandemic began
Hopes that the summer of 2021 might see the recovery of the international tourism sector in Spain after the coronavirus pandemic are receding rapidly as the fifth wave of contagion sweeps across the country, and on Thursday a further blow was dealt to the industry when the Netherlands government warned against travelling to the Balearic and Canary Islands.
This week the UK government has dropped the Balearics from its “green list” of safe travel destinations after just two weeks of quarantine-free travel, and as Covid incidence rates rise sharply all over Spain it has become clear that international tourism will not, after all, be resuming this year at the same level as in 2019. The warning issued by the Dutch government advises citizens to travel to the islands only for “necessary” reasons, while at the same time raising the risk status of travel to Cyprus and Portugal due to similar “worrying trends” in the latest pandemic data.
In consequence, as of this Sunday 18th July those returning to the Netherlands from the Balearics or the Canaries will need to show documentary evidence of having been vaccinated, having recovered from Covid-19 or having recently tested negative for the virus. However, quarantine will not be required as it is for those entering the Netherlands from mainland Spain.
The tour operator Sunweb has already cancelled all of its forthcoming holidays in Spain, Portugal and Cyprus, and the airline TUI has announced a prolongation of its suspension of flights to the islands until at least 13th August.
Spanish government data reported that in 2019, the last year prior to the pandemic, 3.7 million people visited Spain from the Netherlands, accounting for 4.4 per cent of all foreign tourists during the year. Last year the total fell by around 75 per cent to 923,000 but the proportion of all international tourism attributable to Dutch visitors rose slightly to 4.9 per cent.
Yesterday the French government also reiterated its warning not to travel to Spain and tightened testing requirements for those who chose to do so when they returned from Spain.