Spain's tourism minister, Reyes Maroto, said on Monday that the EU is working on a change to its recommendations for non-essential travel which have meant that travellers from countries outside the EU and Schengen area have been prevented from entering EU territory.
Maroto explained that this change - it is hoped - will allow UK travel to Spain from May 20. The minister added that Spain "is working with the British market so that tourism reactivation occurs as soon as possible and that the British choose Spain for their summer holidays". At present, Spain's restriction on travel for non-EU passengers is in force until May 31, but a clear signal that this restriction will be lifted was given last week by the secretary of state for tourism, Fernando Valdés, who said that UK travellers will be able to come to Spain from June with a negative PCR test or a digital health certificate.
This change will not of course alter the fact that Spain, including Mallorca and the Balearics, is not on the UK's green list for travel. On this, there are suggestions that a review may take place on May 31, a week earlier than has been said. The Spanish government is meanwhile lobbying London for the islands, which have a much lower incidence than the national figure, to be treated separately.