Spain's tourism minister, Reyes Maroto, said in Playa de Palma on Thursday that the Spanish government's forecast is that the vaccination certificate will be ready by June.
Following a meeting with President Armengol and tourism industry and union leaders, Maroto explained that the implementation of the certificate (or passport) still requires a process to verify that the holder meets safety requirements for travel. "The forecast is for it to be operational in Spain by June." In order to put it into operation, it will be important "to have a significant percentage of the population vaccinated" - between thirty and forty per cent and rising to 70% in June. "We need the maximum certainty in order to have a season without taking risks."
This digital certificate "will replace current restrictions when it comes to travelling". "In the case of the Balearics, this will improve the islands' competitiveness in respect of the tourism supplier markets."
Regarding the Balearic government's offer of a pilot project for the certificate, Maroto explained that there will be talks with regions. The Spanish government's intention is to implement it at state level, and "we will accept requests from regions, such as the Balearics, so that tests can be carried out prior to implementation".
On Easter travel, the minister stressed the recommendation that only essential trips should be made, as Spain continues to work on reducing the incidence of the virus.
President Armengol said that the meeting had been "fruitful". Among those attending were the CEO of Meliá, Gabriel Escarrer, and the president of Iberostar, Miguel Fluxá.