20 Jul, 2021 @ 12:45
1 min read

Benidorm and Costa Blanca hotels report no ‘explosion’ in bookings since UK announced amber travel rule changes for Spain

Hotels in Benidorm and Costa Blanca report no 'explosion' in bookings since UK changed amber travel rules for Spain
Sunbathers at the Levante beach in Benidorm, a seaside resort on the eastern coast of Spain, where the tourism industry has been hit hard by the latest 14-day quarantine requirement by the British government for all tourists that travel from Spain because of its high levels of COVID-19 cases. Picture date: Friday July 31, 2020.

A Benidorm-based hotel association says there has been no UK bookings surge despite a relaxation in amber list travel rules that started yesterday(July 19).

Double-vaccinated UK visitors to Spain still need two PCR tests for their return home but will no longer need to self-quarantine.

Hosbec general-secretary, Nuria Montes, said: “There has been no explosion of reservations and in many cases, the first beneficiaries of the rule change will be people who already have properties over here.”

“We have had some more bookings but we have to say that levels have been insignificant,” she added.

Nuria Montes (Hosbec): “Cuando se controle la parte sanitaria, nuestra  situación competitiva será mejor que la de otros países” – Gaceta del  Turismo
NURIA MONTES

Flight reservations between the UK and Spain are said to have leapt up by 400% since the change in the amber travel rule was announced.

Valencian president, Ximo Puig, said: ”Any sign in the recovery in the UK market is absolutely positive but we don’t know what the size of the recovery will be.”

Hosbec’s Nuria Montes expressed concern that the fast rise in regional COVID cases could pour cold water over any hotel trading recovery.

“It will be key to see how contagions evolve in Spain over the next two weeks to see if there are any new measures,” said Montes.

There’s a fear in the UK travel industry that tougher restrictions might suddenly appear again, like over holidaying to France, where even double-vaccinated visitors now have to self-isolate on their return.

The Balearic Islands were removed from the green list yesterday and uncertainty is contributing to a reluctance to book hotels in the Costa Blanca area and Spàin.

Last week, Hosbec president, Toni Mayor, said if UK bookings didn’t improve, then hotels that cater for the British market that only opened up earlier this month would ‘soon close their doors again’.

READ MORE RECENTLY-REOPENED BENIDORM HOTELS TO CLOSE ‘SOON’ IF UK TOURISTS DON’T RETURN IN AUGUST

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Alex Trelinski

Alex worked for 30 years for the BBC as a presenter, producer and manager. He covered a variety of areas specialising in sport, news and politics. After moving to the Costa Blanca over a decade ago, he edited a newspaper for 5 years and worked on local radio.

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