Thousands of Brits cancel Benidorm holidays due to new Spain rules
THOUSANDS of Brits have been cancelling their holidays to Benidorm due to the strict new rules in Spain.
Hoteliers in Benidorm and across Costa Blanca are calling for urgent reform to new Spanish travel restrictions which were introduced yesterday.
Children over the age of 12 are not able to enter the country without proof of full coronavirus vaccination or booster.
As kids in the UK are yet to receive their second jab, it means families with teenagers are no longer able to visit.
The hotel association Hosbec says they are suffering "thousands of cancellations" of reservations by families in the UK who wanted to take a holiday during half-term but have been thwarted by the new rules.
"Spain does not allow the entry of children without a complete vaccination schedule but with the AstraZeneca vaccine, there are many British minors who have not yet been able to complete it due to the waiting times between a first and second dose," said a spokesman today.
"From our sector, the Government of Spain is therefore asked that in the case of families in which one of their minors does not have a complete guideline, a negative PDIA can be enabled to allow entry into the country.
"All these thousands of reservations from British families who cannot enter Spain are being diverted to other competing destinations that have conveniently relaxed their restrictions: Turkey, Tunisia and Egypt being the great beneficiaries."
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Spain has tightened its other Covid restrictions too.
Brits must have had their second jab within the last nine months for it to be valid, or to have had their booster jab.
Last month, Benidorm warned that half of hotels had to remain closed due to a drop in tourists.
However, the party resort has since said reservations generally are still looking better and the recent Benidorm Festival has boosted hotel occupancy.
The international market is beginning to prevail with the British tourist in the lead (34.9 per cent) with an even lower share but more similar to pre-pandemic data.
"It seems that green lights are beginning to come on in tourism in the Valencian Community and that little by little national and international tourism marketing is beginning to wake up," says Hosbec which also wants the need for Covid passports to be shown in pubs and restaurants lifted.
"The sector hopes that during February the sixth wave will be definitively controlled and all restrictions will be lifted, as other Autonomous Communities and other countries have done.
"At this time, it makes no sense to continue with a Covid passport requirement in hospitality that does not provide any type of protection and that its positive effect, which was to encourage the undecided to get vaccinated, has already been completed," said the spokesman.
Here are the other holiday hotspots you will be banned from if you haven't had your booster.
