This scenario involves the total or partial closure of the country’s borders.
The Spanish government is working on a plan that provides for the upcoming summer season without foreign tourists due to the spread of the new coronavirus. This was reported on Thursday in the ABC newspaper.
According to her information, this scenario implies the closure of the country’s borders in whole or in part. In this case, the authorities of the kingdom intend to promote the development of domestic tourism. The government also intends to study the experts’ recommendations to limit the number of people who can be on the beaches at the same time. The authorities are trying to avoid the “second epidemiological wave” of coronavirus since September, which is not excluded by experts in the field of health.
At the same time, the Cabinet of Ministers is already working on a campaign for the development of domestic tourism, provided the safety of citizens during the summer holidays is guaranteed. In turn, the hotel business and the aviation sector believe that the upcoming season will not bring much profit, given the restrictions on air traffic by European governments. In addition, the tourism sector believes that demand for tours to Spain will decrease even after the restrictions are lifted, as many guests from abroad will think twice before going to the country, which has become one of the centers of the pandemic in Europe.
In 2019, Spain was visited by more than 83.7 million foreign tourists, which was a record for the country. This figure is 1.1% higher than in 2018. Total spending by foreign visitors last year reached €92.2 billion, 2.8% more than in 2018.
The first coronavirus infection in Spain was recorded on January 31, the number of infected people began to rise sharply after the detection of a local outbreak in Italy. In total, the kingdom was detected almost 147 thousand infected, 14 555 people died. To contain the pandemic, Spain has introduced an emergency preparedness regime with restrictions on movement among the population. Cafes, bars, parks, beaches, educational institutions and entertainment facilities were closed.