The arrival of the first foreign tourists to Spain falls within the framework of a pilot project for the recovery of the tourism sector, weighing 12 % of the Spanish GDP, sealed between the regional authorities of the Balearic islands and tour operators.
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June 15, 2020 9h32
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Spain : first German tourists arriving in the Balearic islands
Agence France-Presse
PALMA — The first German tourists allowed to enjoy the sun of the Balearic archipelago arrived on Monday in the framework of a pilot project, one week prior to the reopening of the borders to Spain on the 21st of June.
After taking off at dawn in Düsseldorf, 180 Germans have landed a little before 11 am (5 am hour of Quebec) at the airport of Palma on the island of Mallorca, the main archipelago of the mediterranean.
Like them, almost 11,000 Germans will be able to take advantage of the Balearic islands during the next few days.
“We’re very, very happy to be here. We love Mallorca, we come several times a year”, said on his arrival George Kasbach, came from the vicinity of Cologne, and who has an apartment on the island.
“We looked at the number of ill persons (of the COVID) in Mallorca and there is very little currently”, he added, assuring feel “secure”.
The arrival of the first foreign tourists to Spain falls within the framework of a pilot project for the recovery of the tourism sector, weighing 12 % of the Spanish GDP, sealed between the regional authorities of the Balearic islands and tour operators.
It comes one week before the re-opening of the Spanish borders with the EU countries — except the land border with Portugal —that the government has decided to move forward to the June 21, after having mentioned the date of 1 July.
This date of 21 June is also the end of the déconfinement of Spain, a country very affected by the pandemic, with over 27, 000 deaths.
Subject to a strict health protocol, the first German tourists must submit to a control of the temperature on their arrival and will be subject to a telephone follow-up of the part of the authorities to check the possible appearance of symptoms of the COVID-19.
They will not, however, to abide by the quarantine imposed on all persons arriving in Spain since may 15, a bond that will be lifted totally on June 21, when the borders will re-open.
Mallorca is a holiday resort, particularly popular with Germans, to the point that they call it “the 17th regional State” of their country.
Some 4.5 million of them are rendered in 2019, to enjoy its idyllic beaches and their nights partying.
Prevented from taking advantage of their secondary residence in the Balearic islands because of the closure of the borders, many east Germans had strongly protested to the Spanish authorities.
The archipelago includes also the islands of Menorca and Ibiza.
