Isha Sesay
THIS is the moment the first of 10,600 German tourists landed safely in Mallorca as part of the pilot test for tourism.
Jetting in to Son Sant Joan airport from Dusseldorf at approximately 11am this morning, some 200 German citizens were eagerly greeted by a mass of journalists, photographers and television cameras.
And the media attention was largely excepted since the Balearic Islands became the first destination in Spain to allow the entry of tourists since the state of alarm was enforced in March.
Upon arrival the holidaymakers underwent a temperature check and were asked to hand in a questionnaire relating to their health that was completed during the flight.
They were also given a telephone number which they were instructed to call if experiencing any symptoms of COVID-19.
In the event of becoming symptomatic, a rapid response test will be carried out by healthcare professionals and if a positive result is produced, they will be quarantined at a residence provided by the government.
After passing through the temperature controls, the tourists then made their way to one of four dedicated hotels on the island.
These consist of the Vivagolf, Alcudia Jardin, Iberostar Cristina, Riu Concordia and Riu Bravo hotels on the Playa de Palma and in Alcudia.
After settling into their accommodation, the new arrivals will be able to move around the island freely on the condition that they respect the rules laid down in Phase 3 of the de-escalation plan and strictly adhere to social distancing.
Over the next two weeks, thousands more participating tourists will jet in to Formentera, Ibiza, Mallorca and Menorca from Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Hannover and Stuttgart through the TUI, DER Touristik and Schauinslad-Reise tour operators.
In aim of promoting the Balearic Islands as a safe destination amid the coronavirus pandemic, the pilot test hopes to give the region a competitive advantage over other European holiday spots.
Speaking at a press conference shortly after the first plane touched down, TUI CEO Sebastian Ebel expressed his gratitude to the Balearic government for the opportunity to conduct the revolutionary tourism test.
He also said that it represented a significant step for international tourism and will allow the Balearic Islands to become ‘the most desirable location worldwide’
“Mallorca will have a very good tourist season this year because it has very well-trained professionals and optimal sanitary conditions,” Ebel said.
“For this reason it will continue to be the preferred destination for Germans.”
