The Spanish tourism department aims to reopen its borders to visitors around the end of June once the lockdown is completely lifted, which will provide the much-needed boost for the travel sector. Last week Madrid surprised its EU partners by imposing a two week quarantine for all overseas travelers and effectively keeping its borders closed, as it was needed to avoid importing a second wave of COVID-19.
However, the move was not meant to be a permanent solution, it was a temporary move and the Transport Minister Jose Luis Abalos said it would be phased out in parallel with travel being allowed within Spain, whose regions are easing restrictions in different phases.
“We can’t allow foreigners to travel while the Spanish population is confined,” he told TVE broadcaster.
“From late June, we’ll start the tourism activity, I hope … We must make Spain an attractive country from the health point of view.”
Tourism accounts more than 12 percent of Spain’s total economic output. However, as per various lobby groups, even with opening its border in late June the revenue will fall between 93 billion and 124 billion euros. Since the start of the pandemic, Spain is one of the worst hit nations with as much as 27,650 deaths and more than 231,350 infections. Slowly the country is easing down the strict lockdown, that was in place since mid March.