Balearic tourism minister and government spokesperson Iago Negueruela said on Monday that tourists will have to comply with the same Covid restrictions as residents but did not clarify how compliance will be ensured. The minister appealed to social responsibility in complying with the rules. "We are still in a pandemic and we must be especially responsible."
At Monday's post-cabinet meeting press conference, he was asked how it can be guaranteed that only people who live together arrive in the Balearics. He referred to foreign health controls at ports and airports, while for hotels he appealed to "responsibility". He didn't wish to answer if a hotel will have to prohibit the reservation of a room to non-cohabitants.
Negueruela stressed that "the tourism sector is particularly concerned that there is a summer season, so together we will work to ensure compliance with the rules". Information channels will be used in order to explain the regulations which are in force in the Balearics. "The regulations are the same for everyone. There can be no discrimination, and we will carry out all the necessary information campaigns. A tough decision has been taken, one for a month of slow de-escalation that includes Easter. This will apply to everyone."
"Inform, collaborate and control" was his message, but pressed on whether hotels might be fined if they do not comply, he reiterated the need for responsibility before adding that if rules are not abided by, there will be sanctions. He added that after 5pm in the afternoon, people not staying in hotels are not allowed to enter them. This rule has been in effect during the months of restrictions.
The minister insisted that "Easter is not the most important thing", the government's principal interest being to ensure that there is a summer season. Regarding the arrival of tourists from foreign countries, Negueruela stressed that they have to come with a negative PCR test.
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Just a minute Mr Tourism Mnister. You are recklessly going to let in tourists whose home nation/s have higher and increasing infection rates. Why are you doing this?
Lip service. Don't upset the tourists more like. They will do what they want and get away with it.
What tourist the way things are going in Germany and France etc there's no way tourist are coming to malllorca you need to get the virus and vaccination program upto speed or rethink your plans
Hope the Minister of Tourism takes responsibility and steps down after letting in uncontrolled amounts of mass tourists to Mallorca and the inevitable surge of Corona cases that will follow from being impatient and to eager too soon due to the recent lobbying by all the travel and airline ceo s that have visited Mallorca
Based on the massive uncontrolled increases of flights all airlines are currently doing, Mallorca will be swamped with Brits and Germans, and there is no way police and authorities can control such masses of tourists....forget about Covid precautions being checked. Meanwhile all Spanish Visitors are to stay away from Mallorca... crazy.
I read how the Germans whose Covid cases are on the increase, have booked up to come to the islands and how British Airways want a Covid passport and how the British Government are in two minds on allowing holidays. What I don't read about is the Islanders view point, would they prefer the island to be opened up to a whole lot of new Covid variants to which we don't know if the current vaccines are effective. Consider the spread of new variants throughout the islands with medical services chasing variant after variant or do we all come together and concentrate on vaccinations and isolating the virus. I read about this magic race to the top, what countries tourists can be here for April or May and wondering if this speculation is a race more to the bottom. With the tourist tax amounting to well over €110,000,000 per year and 20% of this being used for social housing and a further 8% for training and employment, would it not make sense to put all of these other projects on the back burner and use this money to support the small businesses that rely on tourism. Tourism to these islands too soon is like playing Russian roulette with the Islanders lives, if a new variant arises on the islands and once again the island goes into lockdown then who is the winner. There is an old saying "Marry in haste and repent at leisure", it's down to each country to make the decisions when tourism may be allowed and from what countries not the travel agents. Regards B.Rowe.