RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Spain will allow people from countries outside the European Union who have been vaccinated against Covid-19 to enter the country starting June 7, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said Friday.
The new rule will apply to vaccinated travelers irrespective of their country of origin, mainly from the United States, Sánchez said in a speech at the Fitur international tourism trade show in Madrid.
A day after the European Union reached a long-awaited agreement on digital vaccine certificates, Sánchez said the return of tourism would be the main driver of Spain’s economic recovery.
In parallel, from May 24, Spain will allow tourists from non-EU countries considered to be at low risk of coronavirus infection to enter without a negative PCR test.
The UK, Spain’s largest foreign tourist market, will be on the list, as will Australia, New Zealand and Israel, among others.
“They are welcome, more than welcome, with no restrictions or health controls,” Sánchez told reporters at the show.
With hotel bookings starting to recover since Spain’s state of emergency expired earlier this month, Sánchez said the new travel regime will enable international tourist arrivals to reach up to 70% of pre-pandemic levels by the end of the year.
This summer, he said arrivals could reach 30%-40% of 2019 levels.
The number of foreign tourists in Spain plummeted by over 80% in 2020 following Covid-19 restrictions.