Spain’s restrictions, not the UK’s, are causing holiday cancellations this Christmas

Just a week ago, tourism forecasts for the upcoming 5-day bank holiday weekend in the islands, and then Christmas and New Year, were really good. On average, the hotel sector was forecasting occupancy levels of 90%, but the uncertainty caused by the omicron variant of the coronavirus and, above all, the mobility restrictions that have been introduced by various countries have already led to cancellations.

However, what they don’t seem to realize, or acknowledge, is that it is the restrictions imposed on UK travellers by Spain that are having the biggest negative effect, not what the UK has re-introduced.

On Saturday, Boris Johnson made it clear that he would not stop people travelling, but has re-introduced a mandatory PCR test for all travellers on day 2 after arriving in the UK, with home isolation until a negative result is confirmed, to collect omicron sample for genomic sequencing.

On the same day, Spain announced that only fully vaccinated travellers from the UK can enter Spain, including the Canary Islands, from today, which applies to anyone aged 12 or over (children under 12 are exempt), which creates a huge problem for families with 12 to 15-year-olds.

It is obvious to see that this is the reason for cancellations, taking a PCR test doesn’t have a stigma in the UK as people take tests all the time, and a few days in during winter, especially if you travel back on a Friday and two of those are the weekend, are not reasons for most to cancel.

However, not being allowed in if you are unvaccinated, which is a high proportion of ‘younger people’ that have been helping the recovery of the nightlife sector, and for those 12 to 15-year-olds who cannot yet be double jabbed in the UK meaning that parents have no choice but to cancel their holidays, which affects every sector, are the reasons.

"Around 70% of the population of the United Kingdom has been vaccinated but there are 30% of potential tourists who have not, and this is a brake", said the president of FEHT, José María Mañaricua, who acknowledges that the situation, after two good months of tourist arrivals, "is turning grey again."

"The champagne effect in October and November has been just that, but it is beginning to decline and the festive season is not going to be as good as it was intended," he said.

Currently, the UK is due to review the new measure in three weeks' time to see if it is still necessary or not, whereas Spain has decreed their restriction until New Year’s Eve, December 31^st. Wake up Spain, this time it’s your fault, not the UK’s.