THOUSANDS of Britons have canceled their holidays to Benidorm due to strict new rules in Spain.
Hoteliers in Benidorm and the Costa Blanca are calling for urgent reform of Spain’s new travel restrictions which were introduced yesterday.
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Children over the age of 12 cannot enter the country without proof of full coronavirus vaccination or booster.
As children in the UK have yet to receive their second shot, it means families with teenagers can no longer visit them.
Hotel association Hosbec says it has suffered “thousands of cancellations” of bookings by families in the UK who wanted to take a mid-term holiday but were thwarted by the new rules.
“Spain does not allow entry of children without a full vaccination schedule but with the AstraZeneca vaccine there are many British minors who have not yet been able to complete it due to waiting times between a first and second dose,” a spokesperson said. today.
“From our sector, therefore, it is requested from the Spanish government that in the case of families in which one of their minors does not have a complete guideline, a negative PDIA can be activated to allow entry into the country.
“All those thousands of bookings from British families who cannot enter Spain are being diverted to other competing destinations which have conveniently eased their restrictions: Turkey, Tunisia and Egypt being the big beneficiaries.
Spain has also tightened its other Covid restrictions.
The Brits must have had their second shot within the last nine months for it to be valid, or to have had their recall shot.
Benidorm last month warned that half of hotels were to remain closed due to a drop in tourist numbers.
However, the resort has since said bookings are generally improving and the recent Benidorm Festival has boosted hotel occupancy.
The international market is beginning to prevail with the British tourist in the lead (34.9%) with an even lower share but closer to pre-pandemic data.
“It seems that the green lights are starting to turn on in tourism in the Valencian Community and little by little national and international tourism marketing is starting to wake up”, says Hosbec who also wants Covid passports to be displayed in pubs and restaurants surveyed.
“The sector hopes that during the month of February the sixth wave will be definitely controlled and that all restrictions will be lifted, as other autonomous communities and other countries have done.
“At the moment, it makes no sense to continue with a Covid passport requirement in the hotel industry which does not offer any type of protection and whose positive effect, which was to encourage the undecided to make vaccinate, is already over,” the spokesperson said.
Here are the other holiday hotspots you’ll be banned from if you didn’t get your booster.
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