TUI to prioritise holidays to Ibiza and Majorca when Spain ends lockdown

TUI will launch holidays to Ibiza and Majorca first when Spain ends their lockdown.

The tour operator said that the Balearic Islands will be the top of the list for flights and package holidays as soon as trips abroad resume.

⚠️ Read our coronavirus live blog for the latest news & updates

The latest plans follow discussions between TUI's hotel, cruise and destination CEO Sebastian Ebel and Balearic Island tourism minister Iago Negueruela yesterday, according to .

It also follows the six-week plan revealed by the Spanish prime minister on bringing the country out of lockdown.

Hotels and apartments will be able to open by next month, with the island of Formentera in the Balearic Islands being one of the first to take part in phase one of the plan.

Beaches with limitations on the numbers of people to ensure social distancing will also open up fully again by June 8.

TUI holidays will only resume to the Spanish islands under strict safety guidelines, and will first allow German tourists to visit.

A date has not been confirmed as to when this might be, although many of the islands hope it will be in time for the peak summer season.

British tourists may be a bit behind, and could only see holidays after the summer.

Mr Negueruela previously said that while the islands could open by the summer, only tourists from certain countries would be allowed in - and that doesn't include Brits.

He explained: "There are countries like the United Kingdom that have taken too long to adopt containment measures and that also puts us in a different situation with respect to them."

Not only that, but airlines in the UK have grounded their fleets, with Ryanair and Jet2 not resuming flights until mid-June at the earliest.

Most read in travel

WARZONE TRIP

Holiday firm plans to restart trips to Syria six weeks after fall of regime

RIDE ON

Huge boost for Britain’s 1st Hollywood theme park that boasts its own train station

LET'S PLAY

Seven indoor attractions in the UK for when it rains from go-karts to arcades

SOO GOOD

UK theme park has little-known Sooty Land with rides and 'world-first' store

The regions are seeing a flatter curve of coronavirus cases - the Balearic Islands has recorded its lowest number of infections since the state of alarm with just five new cases in 24 hours.

Spanish airports also anticipate reopening on a phase basis, with national traffic first, then European and then international.

Since March, traffic at Spanish airports has suffered a drop of 59.3 per cent in the number of passengers (8.1 million).