Kirsty Mckenzie
TOURISTS who have vaccine passports to prove they have had the COVID jabs could return to our shores as soon as May.
The Balearic Islands are hoping to follow the leads of Portugal, Greece and Cyprus and open borders to British holidaymakers who have received the vaccine.
It comes as the Spanish government confirmed that plans to welcome visitors with vaccine passports are already underway – and the Balearic Islands is keen to follow suit.
International sun seekers could return this Spring, according to Spain’s tourism minister Reyes Maroto.
The tourism chief said: “We want to be pioneers and we are the most active champions of digital vaccine passports to facilitate international mobility.”
It is unclear when Spain’s pilot will be rolled out but regional governors have urged Maroto to let them start the scheme.
Tourism minister Iago Negueruela is pushing for the islands to be the first part of Spain to welcome British holidaymakers with vaccine passports.
He said: “We have offered to become one of the first parts of Spain where the vaccine passport is trialed.
“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.”
Maria Duran, a spokeswoman for hotels in Mallorca said: “We’re paying very close attention to the UK, the first country to design and share a roadmap for restoring mobility.”
It comes as Portugal, Greece and Cyprus become the first Mediterranean destinations to confirm they would bring back tourists from the UK as soon as it’s allowed.
Vaccine passports, which show the Covid-track record of the traveller, have been supported by countries in Europe including Spain and Greece to allow travel to resume without restrictions.
The digital passports prove that the holder had been given both of the jabs, and allow them to bypass quarantine and negative tests.
Brits are currently banned from taking holidays overseas, but Prime Minister Boris Johnson will reveal the date international travel will restart on April 12.
There are hopes the PM will allow UK tourists to head on holidays abroad from as early as May 17, but it’s thought that June 21 is a more likely date.
