Majorca & Ibiza Offer To Be First Parts Of Spain To Welcome Tourists With Vaccine Passports
Good news for holiday-goers as Majorca and Ibiza islands have offered to trial welcoming tourists who have vaccine passports.
Spanish tourism officials have confirmed their dedication to the introduction of Covid passports, which would allow Brits to visit the party islands once again.
The Minister of Tourism of the Balearic Islands, Iago Negueruela – who covers Majorca, Ibiza, Menorca and Formentera – suggested that the islands should become a ‘pilot destination’ for the passports.
Speaking after a meeting with the region’s president Francina Armengol yesterday in Madrid, Negueruela said: “We have offered to become one of the first parts of Spain where the vaccine passport is trialled.
“We showed with last year’s pilot that we can work effectively and the Spanish government’s response to our proposal was very positive. We will focus our efforts from now on in becoming a lead region in the implementation of immunity certificates to facilitate mobility.”
It comes after the the Balearic Islands trialled welcoming German tourists a week prior to national restrictions being lifted last year.
Negueruela added: “The Balearics are committed to safe tourism for all those who come and who live on the islands. This is why we want a health passport that will allow better control of access to our territory.
“We have today taken a decisive step in being pioneers in doing this.”
Spain’s Secretary of State For Tourism said he is “looking forward” to welcoming Brits again, with Francisco Valdes adding that British holidaymakers should “keep open [their] expectations regarding holidays in Spain”.
Of the prospect of holidays this summer, Whitehall sources have said things are looking “increasingly positive”.
In recent weeks, the UK government have shut down claims they will introduce vaccine passports.
The minister for business and industry and Covid vaccine deployment – Nadhim Zahawi – said “No, we’re not. One, we don’t know the impact of the vaccines on transmission.
“Two, it would be discriminatory and I think the right thing to do is to make sure that people come forward to be vaccinated because they want to rather than it be made in some way mandatory through a passport.
“If other countries obviously require some form of proof, then you can ask your GP because your GP will hold your records and that will then be able to be used as your proof you’ve had the vaccine
