Isha Sesay
KING Felipe VI and Queen Letizia have jetted into Mallorca as part of a highly-anticipated tour across the country.
Spain’s monarchs were promoting the ‘new normality’ in the Balearic Islands, with their first pit stop at the unusually tranquil Arenal beach alongside President Francina Armengol.
Usually bursting with bathers at the peak of summer, the royals were instead greeted by a few dozen locals who quietly cheered the pair on.
Next on the agenda was the Riu hotel on Playa de Palma where hundreds of Germans are staying as part of the pilot tourism test.
Here, management explained to the couple the various sanitary measures which have been put in place to halt the spread of coronavirus.
The couple later met with key members of the Confederation of Business Associations (CAEB) and Mallorca Hotel Association.
With each attendee seated a ‘safe’ distance away from one another, King Felipe and his wife were told of the difficult challenges the region is facing as a result of the pandemic.
CAEB President Carmen Planas, who recently said the Balearic Islands was on ‘the brink of a recession,’ explained the need to adopt measures to protect both workers and companies.
This includes the extension of ERTEs, which Planas believes will ‘save the Balearics from ruin.’
This was acknowledged by the royal couple, who reassured the business representatives that they have advocated for more aid to be given from the European Union.
King Felipe also underlined his confidence in the Balearic Islands being a ‘safe destination for international tourism’ thanks to factors such as its ‘first-rate public and private health system.’
This, he believes, gives Spanish tourism the edge this year over countries such as Turkey and Morocco.
