Joshua Parfitt
CAMPSITES have begun closing ‘toilet blocks’ on the Costa Blanca as 95% of all hotels and tourist apartments shut in the Valencian Community.
Stringent measures, advised by the Minister of Tourism on Tuesday, has seen the mass repatriation of ‘40,000’ tourists at hotels and short-stay apartments across the Valencian region, including Benidorm.
The plans are not yet enshrined in a Royal Decree, however the Costa Blanca’s largest tourism business association is currently requesting the rapid closure of campsites and their facilities in the Valencian Community.
“In the opinion of Hosbec technicians, the closure of tourism establishments should also apply to campsites that host thousands of tourists who live in their caravans, motorhomes and mobile-homes during the winter months.
“The impossibility of maintaining social distancing measures inside the shared and common toilets that most of them use – as well as the age of the tourists (+65 years) that place them within the population at risk – makes it necessary to organise their closure as soon as possible.
“Control of the health emergency must take precedence over any interest, including difficulties in returning to their countries of origin, hours or days of driving, or any other reason.”
It comes as Hosbec announced the closure of 240 hotels and tourist accommodation in its association – representing 95% of the Valencian Community’s industry.
Her Majesty’s Ambassador to Spain, Hugh Elliott, has warned UK tourists in Spain that the closure of all hotels by March 24 will be enforced.
He said all Brits abroad should make immediate travel plans to return home through ‘limited’ flights and ferries still available, adding that authorities will bring remaining guests into ‘fewer hotels’ to make sure ‘no one is left without accommodation’.
It comes as the FCO has warned that customers at ‘long-stay campsites’ will be OK, so long as they can ‘cater for themselves’ because communal facilities will close.
Reports of campsites already closing facilities have surfaced in at least three campings around Benidorm today, according to Dave McQueen, owner of Alicante Transfers and Benidorm Holidays.
Stuart Easdon, a British resident at the El Jardin campsite in El Campello, said guests have also been warned the ‘toilets and showers’ will soon close.
“I got told by staff I can stay, and that I will have running water and electricity on,” Easdon, 56, told the Olive Press.
“But I’ll have to shower in a bucket with a hose.”
A spokesperson for the campsite said that ‘final decisions’ have not yet been taken, but that the impending amendment to the Royal Decree will see inevitable closure of facilities on March 24.
