Tourists will ‘only be able to eat at hotels’ as Spain’s Valencian Community puts bars, restaurants and cafes on lockdown from Saturday

TOURISTS to the Valencian Community will have to eat at their hotels as region-wide measures to shut bars, restaurants and cafes come into effect on Saturday at 12am.

Leading Benidorm hotel association HOSBEC said hotels will become travellers ‘habitual residences’ as the Costa Blanca shuts down in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Valencian Community president Ximo Puig announced the suspension of business on Friday afternoon, including events in all open spaces, sports clubs, nightclubs, pubs, casinos, bingo halls, cultural centres, museums, libraries, galleries and cinemas for 15 days.

“The only means to guarantee guests’ food breakfast, lunch and dinner services will be through the hotel’s dining rooms,” a HOSBEC statement read.

“Restaurants and canteens will remain open exclusively to serve guests, taking into account all the safety recommendations regarding concentrations of people in their facilities.

“All use of catering facilities and services other than the above must be suspended in compliance with the regulations – for example, banquets, celebrations, cocktails and the like.”

It comes as Spanish tourist association Exceltur predicts the Valencian tourist industry will lose €2 billion between now and June, due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Valencian Community has 148 confirmed coronavirus cases – Castellon (5), Valencia (104), Alicante (39) – and three deaths, as of most recent updates.