Spain Working On 'Green Corridor' To Welcome Back British Travellers
Spain News
Published: 03 March 2021 16:14 CET
British holidaymakers could soon be able to visit Spain again under a new ‘green corridor’ plan.
According to reports, the scheme could be up and running as early as May, which is the earliest possible date that Brits might be able to travel under the current plans to lift lockdown and travel restrictions.
The scheme will allow vaccinated British holidaymakers to visit Spain, even if there is no European Union agreement on vaccine passports.
Spain’s tourism minister Fernando Valdés said that the government is in talks with the UK, to enable travelling between the two countries easier in time for the summer.
He also added that Spain is of course hoping for an agreement with the EU so that the country can begin to welcome back tourists as soon as possible.
Speaking to Bloomberg TV, Mr Valdés said "Right now we have discussions with our colleagues in the UK.
"For us the British market is our main market. But obviously, since we are a member of the European Union, the solutions have first to be part of the discussions with the EU.
"And obviously if that cannot be reached, we will be thinking of other corridors like green corridors with third countries that can help us restart tourism flows."
Balearic Island resorts are wanting to, once again open their doors to UK holidaymakers and officials have offered to operate a pilot scheme that will see the use of vaccine passports in Menorca, Majorca and Ibiza.
This week, England’s Deputy Chief Medical Officer Professor Jonathon Van Tam said that overseas summer holidays will very much depend on European countries catching up with the UK on their vaccination Programmes. He added that the possibility of overseas travel will also depend on what other countries “will say and do.”
Speaking at a No 10 news briefing, Professor Van Tam also said "We are still in a zone of great uncertainty about what the virus will do next.
"On top of that, many of the vaccination programmes in Europe - which is a place where we frequently go on holiday abroad - are running behind ours.
"Clearly, whether we can go on holiday abroad to places such as Europe depends on what other countries will say and do in terms of foreign tourism.
"There has to be great uncertainty at the moment."
Spain isn’t the only country considering such a plan. It has been reported that Greek officials have the intention to allow tourists, who have been vaccinated against Covid, use a special ‘green lane’, instead of a longer queue that is for those who have received a negative test.
The Mirror Online has reported that Greece is hoping to launch this new service by the middle of May and that under the new scheme, tourists will need to use an app to prove they have received the Covid Vaccination.
Image Credit: Chris Booth from Pixabay
Source
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/summer-holidays-back-spain-plans-23596417
https://www.walesonline.co.uk/whats-on/travel/spain-holidays-travel-summer-greece-19953574
