Spain's tourism minister, Reyes Maroto, joined President Armengol at Palma's Son Sant Joan Airport on Thursday for a presentation of the EU's Digital COVID Certificate and, in particular, the authentication and scanning system for certificates.
Armengol said that certificates will be used for controls of travellers arriving from other parts of Spain as well as from EU countries. "It is a very important tool for the whole of Europe but especially for the Balearics." Thanks to the system, she observed, controls of travellers at ports and airports, including those from Spain, will be streamlined.
The president stressed that the islands are the only region which is on the UK's green list. The Balearics have been open to German visitors for months and are green according to the EU's travel light. Visitors are coming from all over Europe, and British tourists are now arriving.
Maroto said that the certificate is "the master key" that reopens tourism in Spain and the European Union. She praised the work done in the Balearics to guarantee the total safety of people who arrive.
Although July 1 was the launch date for the certificate, six member states were not fully prepared - Hungary, Ireland, Malta, the Netherlands, Romania and Sweden. Switzerland, not in the EU but using the system, was also not totally prepared.