The president of the Mallorca Hoteliers Federation, Maria Frontera, has welcomed the Spanish government's requirement for UK travellers to present a negative test if they have not been fully vaccinated. She is stressing the need for this additional control "to be accompanied by reinforcement" at Palma's Son Sant Joan Airport in order to prevent delays. This control is "necessary", but so also is reinforcement "so that everything flows efficiently".
The hoteliers and the Balearic government had been calling for tests, the government saying that the requirement for tests is in order to "guarantee the safety of the destination and that of tourists from the UK who will be arriving on the islands from Wednesday".
Spain's tourism minister, Reyes Maroto, has echoed this view and has also spoken about the coronavirus infections among Spanish students who have been in Mallorca. It is a specific situation, as "all Spaniards are complying with health measures". "Spain is right now a safe destination and is recognised as such."
According to ABTA, UK tour operators are including the cost of tests in their packages. "It is the best way to guarantee that our clients are safe throughout their stay in Mallorca and the Balearics. At the same time, we are eliminating an administrative burden so that they can benefit from this type of test without jeopardising their holidays."
Meanwhile, TUI UK have announced that they will be operating packages from the first week of July. Ian Livesey, head of operations for the Balearics and Spain, says that there will be flights to Mallorca, Minorca and Ibiza. Since the UK government announced that the Balearic Islands were being placed on the green list, there has been "strong demand for the season".
Livesey is another to have welcomed the Spanish government's decision regarding tests. "I have been saying for months that we must have safe and responsible holidays this summer. If this guarantees greater security, it is positive". He insists that things need to be done well in order to avoid what happened last year, "when we had to shut down in mid-August".