canarianweekly

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SAY HELLO TO HOT WEATHER FOR THE BANK HOLIDAY WEEKEND IN THE CANARY ISLANDS

This weekend is known as the ‘November Bridge’ in Spain, because following Halloween on Sunday, Monday is a bank holiday leading into the next working day on Tuesday, in November. Usually at this time of year jeans and jumpers are needed, but this weekend the heat is returning to the Canary Islands just in time for a 3-day weekend, according to the State Meteorological Agency (AEMET).

They forecast that temperatures will jump for this time of year throughout the Archipelago, with clear skies, no rain, and minimal clouds. The north of the islands will be slightly cloudier and cooler, particularly in Tenerife and Gran Canaria which are more mountainous, so a warm and dry weekend is expected.

Here is the forecast for the weekend in general: TENERIFE: General: Cloudy on Friday clearing over the weekend for a clear and sunny weekend. Humidity: 56% Wind: moderate between 11 and 21kmh from the east. Rain: No rain expected. Temps: Max 26°C, min 19°C

GRAN CANARIA: General: Light cloud during the day today, but clear all weekend. Humidity: 72% Wind: Light between 8 and 19kmh from the northeast. Rain: No rain expected. Temps: Max 24°C, min 15°C

Read more news https://www.canarianweekly.com/

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TOURIST FORECASTS ARE GOOD FOR OCTOBER WITH 70% OCCUPANCY AND A HIGH VOLUME OF BOOKINGS

The tourism sector is set to warm up during the month of October, as the Canary Islands head towards the high season "with very good prospects", according to the president of hoteliers association FEHT, José María Mañaricua, due to the high number of bookings and reservations in the next month, which will increase in November and throughout the winter season.

The Minister of Tourism for the Canary Islands, Yaiza Castilla, shares these forecasts and optimism based on strong demand and the number of seats on flights made available by the airlines, which this winter will have 9% more available than in the same period of 2019/2020, with a total of 7.8 million places, which is 650,000 more than pre-Covid.

Mañaricua says his members, in the province of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, are forecasting occupancy of 70% in October after the good progress of last-minute reservations (people who book to come in the next three weeks), and if everything progresses in the same way, will grow in November assuming "nothing happens" in the meantime.

“For the first time since the pandemic began, the forecasts are good and we see that the numbers are growing. There are no cancellations and reservations are increasing at a steady pace in good numbers”, he says.

He continued that the German and Dutch markets are doing very well, however, from October, significant growth in British tourists is expected after the UK has cancelled the travel traffic light system.

As of October 4th, fully vaccinated tourists returning home to the UK from Spain (including the Canary Islands) will not have to take a pre-departure test before boarding their flight, which takes away a huge uncertainty when booking their holidays, as after the cost of testing, being ‘stranded’ abroad was the next thing that concerned most people and prevented them from travelling.

From November the arrival of the Scandinavians is expected, which is one of the main source markets for the Canary Islands over the winter.

Jorge Marichal, the president of Ashotel, said yesterday, that despite the uncertainty generated by La Palma, the forecasts are "good" as of November for the province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife. "We are entering our peak season par excellence, we are well advanced in overcoming the pandemic and our main source markets are open and reducing restrictions on travelling.”

Regarding the reopening of hotels after Covid, Mañaricua estimates that the accommodation establishments that remain closed, will open their doors throughout October and considers that from November they will be 100% operational in the province of Las Palmas.

Marichal estimates that at the end of October 90% of the accommodation establishments in the province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife will be reopened, after September saw 85% open. The key at this time, without taking our eyes off the situation on La Palma, lies in continuing to work to accelerate the pace of recovery. "There is a desire to travel and that is showing in the reservations," says Marichal. Read more article https://www.canarianweekly.com/posts/canaries-high-bookings-winter

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Following today’s weekly Governing Council meeting, Tenerife has finally moved to alert Level 2 meaning a relaxation in restrictions and increased confidence in the island as a tourist destination. The epidemiological data for the island has continually followed a downward trend for several weeks, but the island couldn’t be reduced from Level 3 last week with Gran Canaria, as islands must stay in a level for 14 days so that data can be assessed.

Although many people don’t see the change in the restrictions between Level 2 and Level 3 as a big thing, it is more than just hospitality that is affected. Gyms and spas can have a more favourable capacity, excursions can cater for more people and shops and shopping centres can use more communal areas.

However, there are benefits in the case of hospitality and nightlife venues, as it now means that 8 people can meet in public, private, or sit together in bars and restaurants, using 75% of capacity outdoors and 50% of capacity indoors (with the correct spacing of tables etc in place), and if their licence allows, they can stay open until 2am.

The change of level was announced by the vice President of the Government, Antonio Olivera, who also confirmed that the rest of the islands are staying in the current levels: LEVEL 3: Fuerteventura LEVEL 2: Tenerfe, Gran Canaria LEVEL 1: Lanzarote, La Palma, La Gomera, El Hierro

Olivera also announced that the Government has listened to the nightlife associations of Tenerife and Gran Canaria, who have requested longer opening hours with the Covid certificate for entry to their venues. This means that nightclubs and discos can now stay open until 4am for the islands in Level 1 and 2, and until 3am on the islands at Level 3, but the Covid certificate must be used, and no dancing rules still apply.

Finally, the level change takes effect from 00:00h on Friday (midnight tonight), and the change for nightlife on Friday night after publication in the BOC tomorrow.

Read more article https://www.canarianweekly.com/posts/tenerife-level-two-%201609

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The General Directorate of Public Health has activated health warnings this afternoon (Tuesday) in different municipalities of Tenerife and Gran Canaria due to high temperatures over the next few days. The forecast shows that the threshold temperatures established in the Plan of Preventive Actions of the Effects of Excessive Temperatures on Health will be exceeded, which are highs of 32 degrees and lows of 24 simultaneously.

Due to this, the following alerts have been activated: - The municipality of Santa Lucía de Tirajana, in Gran Canaria, will be in the red warning of health risk from Wednesday September 8th to the 12th.

- The municipalities of Agüimes, Ingenio, Mogán, San Bartolomé de Tirajana and Tejeda, in Gran Canaria will all be in orange from Thursday September 9th to the 12th.

- The municipalities of Agaete, Aldea de San Nicolás and Artenara in Gran Canaria, and the municipalities of Arona, San Miguel de Abona and Granadilla, in Tenerife, will also be on orange warning from Thursday September 9th to the 11th.

The General Directorate of Public Health has sent the affected municipalities a reminder of the measures they must adopt to protect the health of the most vulnerable members of their community:

- Drink plenty of water or fluids without waiting to be thirsty, unless there is a medical contraindication. - Avoid alcoholic and high sugar beverages. - Avoid exposing yourself to the sun during the hours of greatest heat intensity, i.e. between 11am and 4pm. - In the hottest hours of the day, stay in the coolest part of the house and use ventilation or air conditioning devices, or lastly use fresh damp cloths or take a shower. - Avoid sports activities. - Make light meals so they help to replace salts lost through sweat (salads, fruits, vegetables, or juices).

If you have to go outside, try to stay in the shade, wear light, light-coloured clothing, protecting yourself from the sun with approved hats or caps and sunglasses. Wear cool, comfortable, and breathable footwear.

In the case of presenting any symptoms associated with heat such as headaches, dizziness, cramps, general malaise, a feeling of suffocation due to heat, fatigue, or exhaustion, Health recommends contacting 112. Read more https://www.canarianweekly.com/posts/red-orange-weather-warnings-activated

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According to the latest forecast from the State Meteorological Centre (AEMET), the final weekend of August will have higher temperatures than the rest of the week, reaching 30 degrees in parts of the Canary Islands today, Saturday, with generally clear skies, moderate winds from the northeast, and no rain.

Winds will be stronger inland with local strong gusts at altitude and on the northwest and southeast slopes of the mountainous islands. Northeast winds will also be prevalent in the waters of the archipelago, where they will have force 3 to 4 or 4 to 5, depending on the areas, and there will be a medium swell around 1 metre, and sunset at 8.32pm.

Forecast for each of the islands this weekend:

TENERIFE: Mostly clear and sunny in the south with some light clouds on both Saturday and Sunday. Wind: Light, only 11kmh from the southeast. Humidity: 65% no rain is forecast. Temperatures: Maximum 29°C minimum 21°C.

GRAN CANARIA: Clear and sunny all weekend. Wind: Moderate up to 29kmh from the northeast. Humidity: 62% no rain is forecast. Temperatures: Maximum 30°C minimum 19°C.

LANZAROTE: A cloudy start to both days but clearing by mid morning, sunny in the afternoon. Wind: Moderate with gusts up to 27kmh from the north. Humidity: 84% no chance of rain. Temperatures: Maximum 27°C minimum 20°C.

FUERTEVENTURA: Clear and sunny all weekend. Wind: Moderate up to 23kmh from the northeast. Humidity: 78% no rain expected. Temperatures: Maximum 28°C minimum 21°C.

Read more article https://www.canarianweekly.com/posts/hot-weekend-finish-august-canaries

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The Ministry of Tourism for the Canary Islands, through the public company Promotur Turismo de Islas Canarias, has extended the agreement signed a year ago with the insurer AXA, which offers free travel insurance cover to tourists who are affected by Covid during their stay in the archipelago if they don´t have any other cover.

This agreement originally was for a one-year period, so the Ministry has put a new contract for this insurance out to tender, which is published in the official journal of the European Union, as reported by the regional government in a press release.

However, until this contract is resolved, the Canary Islands Tourism department has decided to extend the policy contracted with AXA, as explained by the Minister of Tourism, Yaiza Castilla, so that visitors "will not be left unprotected at any time of their holiday."

She also pointed out that, the regional Executive has "made every effort to transfer and consolidate the image of the islands as a secure destination”, since the beginning of the pandemic, and they are continuing to do so now.

In relation to this, she pointed out that the Canary Islands was the first place to offer free insurance for tourists who did not know they were infected by Covid when they embarked on their trip, or to those who became infected during their stay in the islands.

The policy includes medical expenses, repatriation, and an extension of the stay in the archipelago so that visitors can complete the quarantine period. She added that the objective "is to reinforce the archipelago's reputation as a safe tourist destination while simultaneously projecting a reinforcement of this reality internationally since this insurance has been one of our great assets".

There are conditions you have to comply with to ensure you are covered, eg staying in licensed holiday accommodation, but all is explained in a downloadable PDF document here: https://www.ciaoisolecanarie.com/sites/default/files/Comunicado-seguro-Axa-EN.pdf

Read more article https://www.canarianweekly.com/posts/canaries-extends-free-covid-insurance

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Now that the UK has dropped quarantine for travellers returning from amber list countries, and agreed this week that from Monday (August 2nd) expats and European travellers with the EU Digital Covid Certificate will also avoid it too with a day 2 PCR test, the question everyone is awaiting the answer for is, is Spain (including the Balearic and Canary Islands) in danger of being moved on to the UK’s amber-plus list for travel.

At the moment the islands and the mainland are benefitting from an increase, all be it not great, in numbers of tourists, the Balearics with Brits, Italians, and Spanish, the Canaries with some Brits but mainly other EU nationals and the mainland with equal amounts from around Europe, however it is no secret that there has also been a surge in coronavirus cases due to the Delta variant.

At the moment any change in status is speculation as the next UK travel review is next week, however, Covid positivity rates among travellers returning from Spain have almost tripled since the end of June, according to official data that ministers could use to impose tougher quarantine rules.

More than 70,000 people flew into England from Spain over the first three weeks of July, and 2,065 of them tested positive which is a rate of 2.9% compared to just 0.9% throughout June. Also, the latest NHS Test and Trace statistics will be fed into No10, which Whitehall insiders say is, allegedly, already considering imposing stricter rules on Spain.

The UK Government is set to update its travel quarantine list next week and there are hopes dozens more destinations will be placed on the green and amber lists. But if the Government decides to push the panic button in the face of soaring rates among travellers to Spain, it could see the nation placed on the amber-plus list, meaning all arrivals would have to isolate for 10 days upon return, even if they've been fully vaccinated.

However, at the last two reviews the UK Travel Taskforce has reviewed mainland Spain and the two archipelagos separately, which could be beneficial for the Canary Islands, if they deem the levels to be low or stable enough. Currently the comparative incidence rates are as follows: Canary Islands IA7: 247.06 Canary Islands IA14: 487.42 Balearic Islands IA7: 388.80 Balearic Islands IA14: 951.65 Spain IA7: 315.09 Spain IA14: 696.31

Yesterday, the Foreign Secretary, Dominic Raab, warned there are no 'cast-iron guarantees' that Spain will stay quarantine-free for vaccinated Brits. Putting the country under tougher travel rules would wreck thousands of holidays, and force many to try to fly home early from their sun-seeking breaks.

As it stands, France is the only country on the amber-plus list even though Spain now has the highest incident rates in Europe due to the Delta variant. UK health officials are said to be 'getting very jumpy' about Spain's situation with the strain, which emerged in South Africa and is thought to be more resistant to the AstraZeneca vaccine given to millions in the UK.

Spain has been on the amber list ever since foreign holidays were given the green light again when the Government eased restrictions in May, and as a result, the number of people flying into England from Spain has been nearly doubling every few weeks. Read more news please visit https://www.canarianweekly.com/

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One of the questions we get asked the most at the Canarian Weekly is, what happens if I test positive on holiday? Where do I go, what do I do, what happens to my family? What is, and am I covered by the Canary Islands free Covid insurance? Here we will try and answer as many of those questions for you.

In July 2020 the Canary Islands Government signed a deal with AXA to offer an insurance policy to tourists who visit the archipelago. This is a free insurance policy that covers the main costs of medical expenses, transportation and extension of stay, so that all you have to do is enjoy yourself on holiday.

All tourists are covered regardless of whether they are foreign or domestic tourists that are visiting the archipelago, and any residents of the Canary Islands that are visiting other areas of the islands.

This is clarified by: Tourists visiting any island in the Canary Islands archipelago for a minimum of 1 night and a maximum of 30 days, staying at regulated tourist establishments, who test positive in a PCR test for Covid-19 during their stay, will be considered insured parties, and also their accompanying relatives, even if the latter do not test positive.

The costs covered include:

- Medical, surgical, pharmaceutical and hospitalisation costs resulting from Covid-19.

- Healthcare transport or repatriation of Covid-19 patients.

- Costs of lengthening the insured party’s stay at a hotel (including in the event of quarantine or imposed confinement).

The above is without prejudice to other travel assistance guarantees if the insured party tests positive for Covid-19.

Here is a summary of the general terms and conditions, guarantees of cover and exclusions referred to in the policy.

General conditions: 1. Insured Party: Any passengers visiting the islands or moving between them by plane or boat as a tourist, with their corresponding travel document or ticket, during the period of insurance cover and with a reliable booking at regulated tourist accommodation during that period, will be covered by this policy

What is a tourist?: A person who is travelling away from their usual place of residence for at least 1 night.

Who is classed as a relative?: The insured party’s relatives will be considered to be their spouse, civil partner or person who lives with them as such; ascendants or descendants to any degree of consanguinity (parents, children, grandparents, grandchildren) of either partner; and, as regards collateral relatives, only the brothers or sisters, non-blood brothers or sisters, brothers and sisters-in-law, sons and daughters-in-law or parents-in-law of either partner.

Territorial cover: These insurance guarantees only cover the Canary Islands. The insurance company’s obligations end the moment the insured parties return to their usual place of residence.

This is a complementary insurance. The cover is only activated when the insured party does not hold any other insurance cover that could cover this situation. Also, any circumstance known to the insured party prior to starting their trip will be excluded.

Travel assistance guarantees: 1. Healthcare transport or repatriation of patients and wounded if they test positive in a PCR test for Covid-19.

If the insured party has Covid-19, the insurance company will assume liability for:

- The cost of ambulance transport to the nearest clinic or hospital.

- Preliminary examination by the insurance company’s medical team, in consultation with the doctor attending the insured party who is sick or wounded, to determine the appropriate measures for the best treatment to follow and the most suitable means for moving them to the most fitting hospital or to their home.

- If the insured party is admitted to a hospital far from their home, the insurance company will assume the costs of subsequently returning them to their usual place of residence when they are discharged.

- The means of transport used will be organised depending on the insured party’s symptoms. When required by the seriousness and urgency of the case, they may be repatriated in a special air ambulance if the patient is in Europe or Mediterranean countries. For any other place, they will be moved by regular airlines.

In order to ensure that appropriate assistance is received, the insurance company’s medical team will be in contact with the medical centre where the insured party is being treated.

Read more article https://www.canarianweekly.com/posts/what-happens-test-positive-holiday

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EASYJET ADDS 18,000 ADDITIONAL SEATS BETWEEN THE UK AND THE CANARY ISLANDS

EasyJet have reported that they have seen bookings in the UK surge since the British Government confirmed that, as of July 19th (26th in Wales), fully vaccinated travellers will no longer be required to undergo quarantine after returning to England from an Amber List country. To meet this demand, the airline has put more than 145,000 additional seats on sale, to fly between the United Kingdom and countries on the amber list this summer, including Spain, which has 65,472 seats.

Out of this total, 18,228 are for travel to the Canary Islands and are distributed as follows: 7,068 for Tenerife; 4,836 for Lanzarote; 3,348 for Gran Canaria and 2,976 for Fuerteventura, with flights available from just £22.99.

Flight bookings have increased by 400% and package holidays by more than 440% in the hours following the announcement, compared to the previous week's booking levels. Spain, Greece and Portugal are among the most popular countries on the amber list, both when it comes to flights and holidays.

In total, easyJet has enabled around 5 million seats on flights between the UK and 85 destinations on the green and amber list this summer, providing its customers with more opportunities to meet up with friends and family or go on holiday in Europe. Javier Gándara, Managing Director of easyJet in Southern Europe, said:

“We are delighted to see the customer response to the removal of quarantine for fully vaccinated individuals returning from amber list countries. With this decision, Europe has become 'green' for this segment of the public. We have always said that vaccination is the key to unlocking travel and this means that millions of people will finally be able to reunite with family and loved ones abroad or take that long-awaited trip this summer.”

“All customers who book flights and holiday packages with easyJet are protected by some of the most flexible policies in the industry under our Protection Promise, which allows users to book with confidence knowing that if their plans change, so can their booking,” he continued.

“In addition, easyJet has partnered with well-known testing companies in Europe to give customers access to reliable and affordable tests, including PCR tests from £43 that passengers can request when booking their flights or holidays online at easyjet.com.”

Gándara also said that “The airline has also launched a new travel insurance policy that includes standard coverage for Covid-19. Thus, if the client tests positive before their trip, they can make changes or request a refund; if you are diagnosed during your trip, you will have access to the required medical care. Clients who are unable to return home because they have been diagnosed with the virus are also covered for additional accommodation, necessary medical assistance and the cost of returning home safely.”

All easyJet aircraft are equipped with HEPA filters, similar to those used in hospitals, which filter 99.97% of particles from the cabin air, including viruses and bacteria. For more information and flight reservations, visit www.easyjet.com.

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QUARANTINE-FREE TRAVEL FOR FULLY VACCINATED BRITS TO BE INTRODUCED 'BY JULY 26TH'

The UK Government are looking to scrap the self-isolation requirement for travellers returning from an amber list countries by the end of this month, according to a report in The Times newspaper. The plans would allow those who have had two doses of a vaccine to avoid the mandatory 10-day self-isolation period, which is currently in place for all amber list countries, essentially opening up travel to all of Europe.

At first the relaxation would only apply to UK residents with access to the NHS, but a deal to extend it to all citizens of the European Union and Brits living abroad is close to being agreed, as UK ambassadors in Europe have been told to make lobbying for the lifting of restrictions on British holidaymakers their priority as the green list is expanded again this month.

The UK government is looking to replace the quarantine requirement with daily Covid-19 testing instead, although this has not been clinically advised or confirmed as yet, and the Home Office has not yet said whether the verification of Covid certification will take place before passengers travel, at border control, or via spot checks by officials.

Vision Box, the company that operates all of the UK’s e-passport gates, has said it has the technology to scan vaccination certificates from both the UK and the EU ready to go.

The UK is said to be close to agreeing to a deal with Brussels which will ensure UK travellers are able to use the NHS app to prove they have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19, but at the moment, the UK government is having to co-ordinate with countries individually.

The appointment of Sajid Javid as the new Health Secretary has brought the target date for introducing quarantine-free travel for fully vaccinated Brits forward, according to government sources, with ministers hoping he will make a big change to the government’s approach to international travel.

A senior government source told The Times: “No final decision has been made on timing yet. There are various issues that need to be worked through and we are waiting for public health advice on exemptions and operational factors. Those need to be worked through before we set out further details but the expectation is it will be introduced by the end of July or the beginning of August.”

Covid-19 vaccination status is recorded on the main NHS app and now shows proof if people have had the jabs. Six million people have already downloaded the app and it is expected that Brits will need to use it to show proof they have been vaccinated when entering other countries.

[canarianweekly]

FULL VACCINATION OR PCR TEST NOW REQUIRED TO ENTER SPAIN FROM THE UK

The Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, has announced this morning (Monday) that travellers from the UK will now require to be fully vaccinated or have a PCR test to enter Spain from July 1st due to the increase in cases and the worrying data in the UK.

If you are travelling from the UK and can prove you have been fully vaccinated with an official digital or printed certificate, no problem you can enter with just the QR code from your locator form.

If you haven’t been fully vaccinated you will need to also produce a negative PCR test result taken within 72 hours of landing in Spain and its territories, including the Canary and Balearic Islands.

Sánchez has justified the measure in the fact that the data arriving from the United Kingdom are worrying because they have infections "well above 150 cases per 100,000 inhabitants over 14 days, and still increasing".

Due to this, he said that a decision had to be made to apply additional measures in Spain and has specified that he has announced it now so that tour operators and airlines take it into account.

This measure, along with proof of recovering from the virus in the last 6 months, is the same required by Europeans to travel around the EUwhich also comes into effect on July 1st.

[canarianweekly]

The UK ambassador to Spain, Hugh Elliott, has said today that "in principle" the Canary Islands and the Balearic Islands will be studied separately for the next Covid-19 traffic light review in the UK, before June 28th. In an interview with Europa Press Televisión, he said that the request of the governments of both Spain and the archipelagos, with which they have a "very good relationship", will be met to catalogue the islands separately, but that "in practice we will have to see the situation on the ground with the UK scientific advisors."

The entire Spanish territory remains on amber within the British traffic light system, which means that tourists will have to undergo a ten-day quarantine upon their return to the UK, despite the fact that, since May 24th, Spain has allowed them entry without any requirement whatsoever.

Elliott stressed that, for the moment, the traffic light has only been applied at country level across the board, but they have now opened up to study the islands (Canary Islands and Balearic Islands) separately due to "their geographical situation and because they have direct flights to UK".

He stressed that the situation in mainland Spain "is different", as there is "very fluid movement" between regions without being able to establish controls between them, so the mainland has to be studied "as a whole." He also confirmed that last time the Islands data was studied, but the application of the traffic light was at a national, not a regional, level.

Elliott clarified that he understands that other communities have done a very good job, such as Valencia, which has very good numbers, and knows that it is frustrating not being able to receive British tourists, but he stressed that, "Unfortunately, due to the fluidity that exists in the borders between regions, it is not possible to make segregation within mainland Spain."

The ambassador went on to explain that the traffic light measures four main factors, including the accumulated incidence rate of the virus, and the level of vaccination, for which he pointed out "is progressing well in Spain but has a long way to go”, as well as the variants that may appear and the sequencing capacity that a country has.

He did, however, clarify that these are the "generic terms", and that "it cannot be said that there is a fixed threshold", because all the factors are analyzed. Read more article https://www.canarianweekly.com/posts/uk-will-study-islands-separately-next-review

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Hotels, apartment complexes, and timeshare resorts in the Canary Islands have started progressively opening in May and this is expected to continue during June until 80% are back open by July 1st.

The advancement in the rate of vaccination and the lower restrictions on travel from many European coubtries suggest "some movement" of visitors this summer, and is leading hotel chains to re-open establishments.

However, although expectations have increased in the last few weeks, and a certain reactivation is expected, the occupancy levels expected by the sector are not very high. They estimate that it will be between 40 and 50% during summer and won't open all their floors or rooms. Read more article https://www.canarianweekly.com/posts/most-hotels-back-open-july

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The UK Minister of Transports, Grant Shapps, has confirmed that holiday islands in Spain, including the Canary Islands, are being considered separately from Spain for their green list of destinations for holidaymakers, and will be from June 7th if it happens.

This is the latest in a line of positive announcements in previous days, after the president of the Canary Islands, Angel Victor Torres, said yesterday that he expects this to happen before the end of May, and the UK Secretary of State for Aviation, Robert Courts, proposed a regional approach "where possible" for destinations to be added to the green list, in relation to cases such as the two Spanish archipelagos, i.e. the Canary Islands and the Balearic Islands. Read more article https://www.canarianweekly.com/posts/grant-shapps-confirms-canary-islands-considered-green

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The Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez, has confirmed this afternoon that Spain is looking forward to welcoming back British tourists in to Spain, and will do so without the need for quarantine or a PCR test, speaking at the Fitur tourism fair, he said in English that the country “will be delighted to receive British tourists again.”

The Spanish government has opted to add the United Kingdom to the list of countries whose residents will not be subject to coronavirus restrictions when travelling to Spain, including the requirement to present a negative PCR test on arrival. 

That’s according to an order that was published today in the Official State Gazette (BOE), which justifies the decision arguing that Spain usually receives a large number of visitors from the United Kingdom, “meaning that many economic sectors need to adapt their capacities in advance to the changes that will take place at the borders.”

The order will come into force on Monday (May 24th), and will mean that the UK will no longer be subject to the temporary restrictions on non-essential travel to the European Union via external borders when their destination is Spain. The order makes reference to the fact that the European Council is currently engaged in a debate to lift the restrictions for the same countries across the entire bloc, something that is likely to happen soon.

Sánchez confirmed that from Monday, travellers from the UK and the other countries already on the list “will be able to enter in the country without health controls on arrival.” He also added that, from June 7th, “tourists from other countries with which there is not complete free movement, among them the United States, will be able to enter Spain provided they count on a certificate showing they have received their full Covid vaccinations.”

The prime minister also conveyed these messages in English, so that, in his own words, they reached the international press. “I am pleased to inform you that the ministerial order will be officially published today exempting citizens from the UK and other countries such as New Zealand, South Korea or China from temporary restrictions for non-essential trips to Spain,” he said. “I can therefore announce that from next Monday, May 24th, Spain will be delighted to receive British tourists again into our country.”

[canarianweekly]

EU PLANS JUNE OPENING FOR VACCINATED TOURISTS WITH NEW PROPOSAL

After nearly a year of closed borders, the European Union revealed a plan yesterday (Monday) to open in June to fully vaccinated travellers from countries with low Covid infection rates in time for summer. The easing of restrictions on non-essential travel, which will be welcomed by countries desperate to revive struggling tourism industries, would also allow for an "emergency brake" should infection rates rise again.

Reflecting success with vaccination programs, the EU also wants to relax qualification rules for adding to its ‘safe travel list’ of countries whose travellers don't need to be vaccinated or to enter quarantine.

Officials hope the plan could be implemented by the end of June, a year since the EU closed its external borders to most travellers, but borders could open up sooner depending on how quickly European countries sign off the proposal.

The move comes as some of the 27 member countries are already planning to forge ahead with opening up to tourism. Greece said last month that almost all fully vaccinated or Covid-tested international travellers can enter their country from the middle of May.

The proposals, published by the European Commission, advised that arrivals must have been inoculated 14 days before arrival with a vaccine from its approved list, which currently includes the Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Janssen and Moderna vaccines.

"Member states could also extend this to those vaccinated with a vaccine havingthat has completed the WHO emergency use listing process," a European Commission statement added.

At the heart of the EU plan is the "Digital Green Certificate" that will stand as proof of vaccination or immunity, and allow for travel across internal and external European Union borders. International travellers will be able to obtain one by submitting evidence to their initial destination country that they've been vaccinated. But before it's introduced, member states are advised they will need to take steps to verify the authenticity of any vaccination proof presented by visitors.

Yesterday’s proposals also recommended changing the way the European Union decides which countries are on its travel safe list. Currently only travellers from seven nations, including Australia, New Zealand and Rwanda, are allowed to enter some EU countries on holiday without proof of vaccination or undergoing mandatory quarantine.

Read more article https://www.canarianweekly.com/posts/eu-plans-summer-opening-vaccinated-tourists

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CONFUSION OVER TRAVEL ADVICE ON UK GOVERNMENT WEBSITE

Confusion was abound yesterday when it was reported across the Spanish press, including by us here at Canarian Weekly, that the UK Government had removed the Canary Islands and Portugal from their travel ‘black list’.

At one point it seemed that this information was incorrectly updated on their website as it was an old note from Foreign Office in the UK and had been rectified, but the site still shows this information. The news created some hope for the future for people who live in, and want to come to, the Canary Islands, with pending announcements about international travel due from the UK Government. It does however, clearly state that currently holidays from the UK are illegal as travel abroad is only allowed for essential reasons.

There was no real damage done by this news, as the situation hasn't changed reagrding holidays from the UK, but even this morning the BBC spoke about the Canary Islands being taken off the travel 'black list' whilst interviewing a Tenerife bar owner in Las Ameicas about the situation here on the island.

So, confusion... yes; any change regarding holidays... no; positive news for travel from May 17th... let's wait and see!