MADRID – Spain can count on the digital green certificate from the European Union in June. Minister Reyes Maroto of Industry, Trade and Tourism confirmed the aim on Monday. The certificate will guarantee mobility between EU countries.
Furthermore, she confirmed that from May 20, mobility restrictions between countries outside the EU could be ‘relaxed’. This would allow Spain to receive tourists from the United Kingdom, the United States, South America and Asia. All this if the new taxonomy worked on by the EU to accommodate tourists who have been vaccinated is approved. In addition, 10 ‘pilot’ destinations in Spain will be set up to test the certificates.
The minister made these statements during the Alicante + Europe forum. She also stated mobility between countries could be resumed as 19 million doses have already been administered in Spain,. The outlook for tourism in the near future now seems more optimistic.
Maroto is confident Spain could receive half the total 84 million foreign tourists from record year 2019 during the rest of the year. This could happen “if the pace of vaccination is maintained” and the EU’s digital green certificate is ready in June.
Tourism resumes
According to the minister, it is “good news” for Spain that both domestic and foreign tourism is resuming. She appealed to the “responsibility” of society as the end of the alert does not mean the virus is defeated. “Well, we’re about to beat it because the vaccination is progressing quickly, but we still need to do things right to avoid taking steps back.”
Regarding the arrival of tourists from the United Kingdom, the Minister explained the approval of the green certificate before June is of great importance. Recommendation 912 also affects this, allowing the restrictions for countries outside the EU to be relaxed.
“At the moment, the green card is under construction and we hope it will be approved around May 20, so that Britons can also travel to Spain again,” said Maroto. She added this measure depends on whether the UK decides its residents can travel abroad.
Likewise, the Minister emphasised that Spain “must work” to stay within “the green traffic light”. She also clarified the colours of the traffic light could be determined by area in Spain, based on the virus incidence. This follows negotiations with the United Kingdom.
Pilot destinations
From May there will be ten Spanish test destinations testing the green certificate. It is not yet known which they will be.
When asked whether the government will ultimately demand reciprocity with health measures from countries such as the United Kingdom, Minister Maroto answered, it is necessary “to restore international mobility and that hard work is being done within the EU to achieve international to secure mobility.
“Vaccination allows us to ease mobility restrictions to some extent, but with security elements such as protocols that help ensure these safe measures through negative PCR tests or through vaccination,” said Maroto.
