Alex Trelinski
VALENCIAN president, Ximo Puig, will ask the UK Ambassador, Hugh Elliott, why Spain is not appearing on ‘Green’ travel lists issued by the four UK nations.
Puig will also make the case for the Valencian Community, including the Costa Blanca, to be given special consideration.
12 countries and territories, including Gibraltar and Portugal were included on England’s first list announced on May 7, which means no quarantines for travellers returning home.
Spain, along with other popular tourist destinations like France and Greece, was passed over.
The same has now applied to the first list published today(May 11) in Scotland.
Ximo Puig described the news over the English list as ‘very negative’ and said that he will meet Hugh Elliott to lobby for a change.
Puig said: “We have made a great effort in the Valencian Community to fight the coronavirus and we have less than 200 people in hospital due to COVID.”
“We will do everything we can to ensure the swift return of English tourists.” he added.
The Valencian Community has the lowest COVID infection rates in Spain and mainland Europe, and that will prompt a plea for special regional treatment.
One argument that Puig will make to Elliott is that holidaymakers flying into the Costa Blanca don’t venture out of the area, and pose little risk of catching the coronavirus by travelling around Spain.
Last week, the regional Hosbec hotel association suggested that Puig ought to ‘knock on the door of Downing Street’ to talk about the low infection rates.
It also attacked the Valencian leader for not doing enough to get British tourists back.
Spain is currently in an ‘Amber’ rating for all UK travellers which means that most people returning home have go into quarantine and to pay for PCR tests.
UK newspaper reports today(May 11) suggest there’s going to be no quick change in policy over Spain in the next England list..
They speculate that an extended ‘Green’ list to be published on June 7 will include some Carribbean islands as well as Finland and Malta.
That in effect knocks out Spain as a destination for UK tourists during June.
Many Costa Blanca hotels saw that happening anyway with half of them said to be closed until July.
Spain’s Tourism Minister, Reyes Maroto, on a visit to Alicante yesterday, said: “We are being very pro-active within the European Union and pushing for the updating of restrictions on non-essential trips from outside the EU.”
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