No British tourists expected in July, Tenerife could move to back Level 3 this week

The reaction in the Canary Islands to the UK’s decision to delay ‘freedom day’ until July 19^th has not been positive for the archipelago with the UK's main tour operator, TUI, postponing the reactivation of its operations until that date due to the "uncertainty" of the forecast of low demand, The president of the Tenerife Cabildo saying that “talks with the British government are not hopeful”, and Tenerife expected to pass to Level 3 this week due to the increase in cases on the island.

Jet2 announced that they would be restarting holidays on July 1^st but this came before Boris Johnson’s announcement, so now it remains to be seen what decision they will make, as they move millions of people each year between the UK and the islands and has been postponing the start of operations for months, waiting for the British Government to open the country. Johnson's proposed new date could push it back now until late July or early August.

The UK’s announcement on Monday, and TUI's decision, have sunk the expectations of the Canary Islands tourism sector and especially hurts Tenerife and Lanzarote, which are the islands that carry the greatest weight of British tourism.

The tourism sector does not foresee any change in the revision of the traffic lights for travel from the UK, which will be between June 24th and 28^th, as no additions to the green list are expected, but also the increase in cases in Tenerife could prevent this anyway, and epidemiological data suggests that the island will go to Level 3 restrictions this week, especially as tourism reactivation is now delayed.

The president of the Federation of Hospitality and Tourism Entrepreneurs of Las Palmas (FEHT), José María Mañaricua, who has always been sceptical of the announcements regarding the "imminent return" of British tourists by some political representatives, bluntly saying that there will be no visitors from the UK in July.

The forecasts now, as he points out, are for August, ”There is not going to be a general opening. The recovery of the British market will be complex," said Mañaricua, who has always argued that tourism from the United Kingdom will return to the Canary Islands when the European Union and Boris Johnson reach an agreement on the digital certificate that allows movements.

The Minister of Tourism of the Canary Islands, Yaiza Castilla, posted on Twitter, after learning of the decision of the British Government to delay the de-escalation until July 19th, that the archipelago "will remain expectant" to the measures of the main tourist market." At the same time we will focus on other countries with potential visitors to the Canary Islands," she said.

The president of the Cabildo de Tenerife, Pedro Martín, for his part acknowledged yesterday that the talks with the British government for tourists to travel to the island "are not particularly encouraging." In statements to the media, he hopes to have a new conversation with the British ambassador to try to confirm at least some dates. "We will all agree that July will be the month in which there will no longer be any reason why talks with the UK should not resume," he said.

The British tourism industry is one of the most affected by the pandemic that has lasted longer than initially expected.