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British holidaymakers without Covid vaccination certificates will be able to enter Spain “within days”, the country’s tourism minister said.
Britons who were not cut could not travel to Spain despite easing most other health restrictions, including the mandatory wearing of face masks in public places in almost all indoor public places.
The ban on unvaccinated elderly tourists from the UK was expected to remain in place until at least June 15 after a new extension, but Spanish Tourism Minister Maria Reyes Maroto made an unexpected announcement Thursday that an upcoming rule change was announced.
She said in a radio interview: “It will be a matter of days before we remove a restriction that may discourage tourists from outside the European Union from visiting us.
“We will stop requiring a Covid certificate and allow people to enter with a negative Covid test.
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Confirmation of a negative test will be the only requirement for entry once the planned change takes effect, she added: “The world sees us as a safe destination and 92 percent of the Spanish population has been vaccinated.
“Tourism is recovering here at a pace we could hardly imagine in January. Today, this recovery is a reality. Tourism is the lever for economic growth this year. “
It was not immediately clear whether the changes would be implemented before June 15, although the mention of the days by Ms Reyes Marotto signaled that they could take effect as early as next week after confirmation in an official state bulletin.
The key change in entry rules is expected to lead to an increase in last-minute bookings by Britons who have resigned themselves to missing the Spanish summer holidays due to their vaccination status.
The children were exempted from the vaccination ban, but it applied to all adult holidaymakers coming from the UK, although they could enter by showing a Covid recovery certificate.
Mandatory use of face masks in Spain in public indoor was lifted last month following the end of other Covid restrictions, including restrictions on working hours.
The British are flocking back to the holiday destination this year in cash, giving hoteliers hope for a quick return to the pre-pandemic situation.
In March, 826,000 visitors from the United Kingdom traveled to Spain, with 1.76 million entering the country in the first three months of the year.
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