Lufthansa Covid test centre. | Andreas Gebert

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The President of the Government, Francina Armengol has announced that all domestic travellers arriving in the Islands will have to prove they don’t have coronavirus.

"I have no doubt that tourists coming from Spanish territory will have to undergo a negative PCR test," said President Armengol, who added that she’s been negotiating with the Central Government for months in an effort to improve health security.

“We have achieved it internationally and we will also achieve it with the national market,” she stressed. “Health security is not determined by nationality, but by whether or not people have the disease.”

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President Armengol’s statements are part of the Government's strategy to make the Balearic Islands a safe destination. Tourism & Labour Minister, Iago Negueruela, the Mallorca Hotel Business Federation, the Balearic Hotel Chains Association, PIMEM and Habtur met on Friday to discuss the way forward.

Minister Negueruela said the objective is to shield the Balearics from contagion from abroad and to be a safe destination for the 2021 tourist season.

“The fundamental objective is for the Balearic Islands to be a safe destination, so reliable anti-Covid tests, whether they're PCRs or another type of test, must be carried out on everyone who comes from overseas,” said FEHM Executive Vice President, María José Aguiló after the meeting.

PCRs are more reliable than antigen tests,” said President of the Small Business Association, Jordi Mora. “The business and tourism world wants tourist activity to start as soon as possible, hence the need to send positive messages in this regard.”

Minister Negueruela announced that a promotional campaign for the Balearic Islands will be carried out in January and February in collaboration with the Consell de Mallorca to encourage reservation sales.

"Health controls in the markets are vital, which is why we need to generate maximum confidence and reinforce messages of security,” said Insular Tourism Minister, Andreu Serra. “Promotional campaigns in Europe will have an impact in this regard, but they’ve yet to be defined and strategised.”