Pedro Sánchez told the Tourism Innovation Summit in Seville on Friday that he was "fully convinced" that if expectations for the vaccine are met, 2021 "will be one of the best years for tourism in Spain".
The prime minister observed that if any sector is going to experience a rebound in activity with great strength, "it will be the tourism sector". If the second-wave infection curve continues to bend, as has been happening recently, "tourism will soon begin to recover its strength".
Sánchez said that the state budget needs to be approved so that transformation is made which ensures that Spain's tourism continues to be a leader over the next decade and that tourism adds value and quality employment. The tourism sector, he observed, is an essential aspect of the budget. "This is why we have increased the allocation for tourism, trade and SMEs by more than 1,300 million euros - the greatest investment in democratic history."
He referred to the "special treatment" for the tourism sector. In response to the crisis there has been the ERTE furlough scheme, there have been the loans from the ICO credit institute and also the plan to invest 4,200 million euros thanks to EU funds. "With the support of Europe we are going to create a plan to modernise the tourism sector and to make it more competitive. This will involve public investment of 3,400 million euros over the next three years."