THE average Spanish resident will spend between €500 and €1,500 on their holidays this year, with three in 10 set to increase their budget from last year and 16% reducing it.
British tourist bookings up by 400% since quarantine exemption announced
19/07/2021
BRITISH holidaymakers' bookings for Spain have soared by 400% since the UK government announced its residents would not have to quarantine upon their return if they had been fully vaccinated by the National Health Service (NHS).
This takes effect from today (Monday, July 19) but does not apply to British nationals living in 'amber' countries visiting the UK – unlike those travelling in reverse, they will still have to quarantine for 10 days even if they are fully vaccinated.
The Department for Transport (DfT) says it is 'exploring' the possibility of officially recognising the EU 'Covid passport' proving incoming visitors from 'amber' countries have been immunised, but this is not yet the case.
Spain remains on 'amber', as does France, Greece, Italy and Portugal, among other popular European summer destinations, meaning tourists from the UK who are not vaccinated are obliged to take a Covid test before departing for home, another two days after arrival and a third on day eight, whilst self-isolating for 10 days.
Those resident in Britain and travelling to Spain or any other 'amber' nation do not have to quarantine when they get home, but still have to take two Covid tests, before setting off for the UK and on day two after arrival.
The exception is France – the British government announced on Friday that holidaymakers returning from the neighbouring country would need to quarantine for 10 days, even if they are fully immunised.
Under-18s travelling with adults do not have to self-isolate when returning from 'amber' countries, the UK government says.
Balearics and Costa del Sol ‘optimistic’
Until July 14, the Balearic Islands were on 'green' and the rest of Spain on 'amber', but it was later announced that the whole country would be on 'amber' from then.
Balearic regional tourism minister Iago Negueruela says this 'does not matter' as fully-immunised adults, and children under 18, do not have to quarantine upon their return, meaning the market the islands are mainly seeking to attract – families with children, or older adults – will be covered by the exemption from self-isolation.
That said, a spokeswoman for tour operator TUI says the move from 'green' to 'amber' is 'disappointing', since those who had already booked a 'well-deserved holiday' in the Balearic Islands or who planned to 'reunite with loved ones' in the region are now likely to be forced to cancel if they are not yet fully vaccinated.
TUI slams the 'continuing lack of transparency over methodology and data' behind the 'constant changes in criteria' make it 'incredibly difficult for customers to make advance bookings with confidence'.
According to the Association of British Travel Agencies (ABTA), the 'continuous changes in travel restrictions' will 'delay any significant recovery for the industry' in the UK.
But Spanish destinations remain optimistic – the Costa del Sol hoteliers' and tourism traders' association AEHCOS says British visitors make up around 30% of arrivals at Málaga airport.
Its chairman, José Luque, predicts around 60% to 62% of hotel rooms on the Costa del Sol will be booked up in August, at least double and nearly three times that of the same month in 2020.
Also, even without British holidaymakers, a rise in visitors from Germany, another major market for Spain's coastal areas, looks set to save the season: National airline Lufthansa had to deploy its largest plane, a Boeing 7474-8, to meet demand for travellers to Mallorca.
Lufthansa is currently running 432 flights a week between Germany and the Balearic Islands, around 4% more than in 2019, the last 'normal' year for tourism and a record one for Spain.
With 35 million British residents fully vaccinated, however, even if only half of them took a holiday in Spain, their total would equal that of 2019.
Back then, before the pandemic, over 18 million UK residents travelled to Spain all year, of whom 6.25 million visited between January and May, before peak tourism season took off.
This year, during the same months, only 130,000 did so, since everyone travelling to an 'amber' country was required to quarantine upon return and, for much of the beginning of that period, hardly anyone was vaccinated in full.
This means Britain has now fallen down the rankings in terms of Spain's holidaymaker market, to number eight, behind France, Germany, Belgium, Switzerland, The Netherlands and Portugal.
Since the start of the pandemic, France has become the main tourism output nation – largely due to its land border with Spain and the fact that many French holidaymakers travel there by car – having previously been only the third, after the UK and Germany.
Not the biggest spenders, but still worth €18 billion
British tourists typically stay slightly longer, but spend less money, than other European holidaymakers in Spain, according to figures released by the National Statistics Institute (INE).
An average foreign tourist spends €1,102 per head per trip, or around €154 a day, including accommodation, food and entertainment, and stays for 7.2 days.
British residents on holiday in Spain spend an average of €995, or €135 a day, and stay for 7.4 days.
But their contribution to Spain's tourism industry is still significant: They spent nearly €18 billion in the country in 2019.
The change in the rules on quarantine for the vaccinated returning from 'amber' countries was set to apply from what has become known in the UK as 'Freedom Day' – from July 19, restrictions and rules for residents in Britain were largely dropped.
Ever since the date was confirmed, flight bookings to Spain from the UK have shot up by 400%, according to the Spanish Airlines Association (ALA).
Low-cost carriers, particularly Ryanair and easyJet, have increased flights to Spain and other European destinations in anticipation.
Even a fourfold rise is a long way short of a typical summer, but is far better than was anticipated at the start of the year and, as confidence in safe travel and the number of people fully inoculated grow, it is likely these bookings will continue to rise.
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BRITISH holidaymakers' bookings for Spain have soared by 400% since the UK government announced its residents would not have to quarantine upon their return if they had been fully vaccinated by the National Health Service (NHS).
This takes effect from today (Monday, July 19) but does not apply to British nationals living in 'amber' countries visiting the UK – unlike those travelling in reverse, they will still have to quarantine for 10 days even if they are fully vaccinated.
The Department for Transport (DfT) says it is 'exploring' the possibility of officially recognising the EU 'Covid passport' proving incoming visitors from 'amber' countries have been immunised, but this is not yet the case.
Spain remains on 'amber', as does France, Greece, Italy and Portugal, among other popular European summer destinations, meaning tourists from the UK who are not vaccinated are obliged to take a Covid test before departing for home, another two days after arrival and a third on day eight, whilst self-isolating for 10 days.
Those resident in Britain and travelling to Spain or any other 'amber' nation do not have to quarantine when they get home, but still have to take two Covid tests, before setting off for the UK and on day two after arrival.
The exception is France – the British government announced on Friday that holidaymakers returning from the neighbouring country would need to quarantine for 10 days, even if they are fully immunised.
Under-18s travelling with adults do not have to self-isolate when returning from 'amber' countries, the UK government says.
Balearics and Costa del Sol ‘optimistic’
Until July 14, the Balearic Islands were on 'green' and the rest of Spain on 'amber', but it was later announced that the whole country would be on 'amber' from then.
Balearic regional tourism minister Iago Negueruela says this 'does not matter' as fully-immunised adults, and children under 18, do not have to quarantine upon their return, meaning the market the islands are mainly seeking to attract – families with children, or older adults – will be covered by the exemption from self-isolation.
That said, a spokeswoman for tour operator TUI says the move from 'green' to 'amber' is 'disappointing', since those who had already booked a 'well-deserved holiday' in the Balearic Islands or who planned to 'reunite with loved ones' in the region are now likely to be forced to cancel if they are not yet fully vaccinated.
TUI slams the 'continuing lack of transparency over methodology and data' behind the 'constant changes in criteria' make it 'incredibly difficult for customers to make advance bookings with confidence'.
According to the Association of British Travel Agencies (ABTA), the 'continuous changes in travel restrictions' will 'delay any significant recovery for the industry' in the UK.
But Spanish destinations remain optimistic – the Costa del Sol hoteliers' and tourism traders' association AEHCOS says British visitors make up around 30% of arrivals at Málaga airport.
Its chairman, José Luque, predicts around 60% to 62% of hotel rooms on the Costa del Sol will be booked up in August, at least double and nearly three times that of the same month in 2020.
Also, even without British holidaymakers, a rise in visitors from Germany, another major market for Spain's coastal areas, looks set to save the season: National airline Lufthansa had to deploy its largest plane, a Boeing 7474-8, to meet demand for travellers to Mallorca.
Lufthansa is currently running 432 flights a week between Germany and the Balearic Islands, around 4% more than in 2019, the last 'normal' year for tourism and a record one for Spain.
With 35 million British residents fully vaccinated, however, even if only half of them took a holiday in Spain, their total would equal that of 2019.
Back then, before the pandemic, over 18 million UK residents travelled to Spain all year, of whom 6.25 million visited between January and May, before peak tourism season took off.
This year, during the same months, only 130,000 did so, since everyone travelling to an 'amber' country was required to quarantine upon return and, for much of the beginning of that period, hardly anyone was vaccinated in full.
This means Britain has now fallen down the rankings in terms of Spain's holidaymaker market, to number eight, behind France, Germany, Belgium, Switzerland, The Netherlands and Portugal.
Since the start of the pandemic, France has become the main tourism output nation – largely due to its land border with Spain and the fact that many French holidaymakers travel there by car – having previously been only the third, after the UK and Germany.
Not the biggest spenders, but still worth €18 billion
British tourists typically stay slightly longer, but spend less money, than other European holidaymakers in Spain, according to figures released by the National Statistics Institute (INE).
An average foreign tourist spends €1,102 per head per trip, or around €154 a day, including accommodation, food and entertainment, and stays for 7.2 days.
British residents on holiday in Spain spend an average of €995, or €135 a day, and stay for 7.4 days.
But their contribution to Spain's tourism industry is still significant: They spent nearly €18 billion in the country in 2019.
The change in the rules on quarantine for the vaccinated returning from 'amber' countries was set to apply from what has become known in the UK as 'Freedom Day' – from July 19, restrictions and rules for residents in Britain were largely dropped.
Ever since the date was confirmed, flight bookings to Spain from the UK have shot up by 400%, according to the Spanish Airlines Association (ALA).
Low-cost carriers, particularly Ryanair and easyJet, have increased flights to Spain and other European destinations in anticipation.
Even a fourfold rise is a long way short of a typical summer, but is far better than was anticipated at the start of the year and, as confidence in safe travel and the number of people fully inoculated grow, it is likely these bookings will continue to rise.
Related Topics
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