The British Government’s decision to force tourists, travellers and Expats returning from the Balearic Islands to quarantine for 14 days has been heavily criticised by CAEB, PIMEM, the Business Lobby Exceltur, the Association of Airlines, or ALA and Hotel Employers.
"It is a deep disappointment that Boris Johnson’s Government has not heeded the rigorous, objective and health arguments that show that British subjects have a higher safety index in the Balearic Islands, compared to the number of infections experienced in the UK,” said CAEB President, Carmen Planas.
PIMEM Chairperson, Jordi Mora, insisted, “a safe corridor is perfectly compatible with all the guarantees and the daily management of the Tourism Sector and everything else is bad news for everyone."
Airlines
Javier Gándara, President of ALA, said the quarantine decision was extremely bad news for the Airline Sector and for the Spanish and European Tourism Industry.
‘The quarantine decreed by the British Government for those who return from Spain will have a devastating effect on the Airline Sector and on Tourism because one in four International tourists who visits us comes from the UK,” he said. “The pandemic is moving at different rates and it would have been more logical if restrictions were applied in regions with the highest level of regrowth, not over the entire country. The British Government’s measure is going to have a devastating impact on the industry."
The Alliance for Tourism Excellence, or Exceltur, Chairman, Gabriel Escarrer, took an even tougher line.
"That the British Government did not previously warn Spain about this decision, which has also been challenged by businesses such as EasyJet and Jet2, is a clear challenge to their own Government and a reflection of its absolute discrepancy with the measure adopted,” he said. “These quarantines could become the tip of an agonising season, this news is devastating, it could not be more dramatic, especially for the Balearics, Benidorm, the Costa del Sol and the Canary Islands.”
Balearic Hotel owners said they were extremely disappointed and concerned about what might happen in the coming weeks.
"Hotel closures are going to be widespread, so the economic losses will be huge, especially for those who work with British Tourism," they said.
The World Health Organisation General Secretary, Zurab Pololikashvili warned that unilateral measures to combat Covid-19 "can be confusing and have unnecessary consequences,” and stressed that this measure in high season is "very painful".