SPAIN’S Costa del Sol’s tourism sector is confident that Boris Johnson’s government will turn the traffic light green for Spain on June 7, when it is due to review its list of safe destinations.

The British market, which accounts for 30% of all travellers to the Costa del Sol, is key to the recovery of tourism, however Spain is currently ‘amber’ on the UK traffic light system, meaning that arrivals to the UK from Spain need to quarantine for 10 days on their return and take two PCR tests.

The industry’s aim is for Spain to join the UK’s green list as soon as possible, with Jose Luque, president of the Costa del Sol’s hoteliers association Aehcos, optimistic that this objective could be reached at the start of June.

However, for this change to take place, it is necessary to make further progress in reducing the number of COVID-19 infections in Spain and speed up the vaccination process.

Spain as a whole has to make a ‘joint effort’ to get British tourism back, Luque said.

Spain’s tourism chief, Maria Reyes Maroto, is also confident that the UK’s top holiday destination will get the ‘green light’ soon.

In fact, Maroto anticipates that Brits could visit Spain as soon as next week without having to quarantine on return, despite being put on the amber list.

Maroto insists she is confident that Downing Street would upgrade Spain to a green rating ‘shortly’ and spare people having to self-isolate.

In an upbeat speech during a visit to Alicante last week the Minister said: “We are convinced British tourists will be able to holiday in our country this summer if that is their wish.”

According to Maroto, the advance of the vaccination program and the accumulated incidence of COVID-19 going down increases the possibilities that Spain will form part of the UK’s green list very soon.

UK’s traffic light system:

  • Travellers coming from ‘green’ countries will not need to quarantine on their return unless they test positive for coronavirus.
  • Arrivals from ‘amber’ countries will need to quarantine for 10 days on their return and take two PCR tests.
  • Those returning from a red list country must stay in a quarantine hotel for 11 nights at an approximate cost of £1,750.

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