The British Government’s decision to force tourists, travellers and Expats returning from the Balearic Islands to quarantine for 14 days has been heavily criticised by CAEB, PIMEM, the Business Lobby Exceltur, the Association of Airlines, or ALA and Hotel Employers.
"It is a deep disappointment that Boris Johnson’s Government has not heeded the rigorous, objective and health arguments that show that British subjects have a higher safety index in the Balearic Islands, compared to the number of infections experienced in the UK,” said CAEB President, Carmen Planas.
PIMEM Chairperson, Jordi Mora, insisted, “a safe corridor is perfectly compatible with all the guarantees and the daily management of the Tourism Sector and everything else is bad news for everyone."
Airlines
Javier Gándara, President of ALA, said the quarantine decision was extremely bad news for the Airline Sector and for the Spanish and European Tourism Industry.
‘The quarantine decreed by the British Government for those who return from Spain will have a devastating effect on the Airline Sector and on Tourism because one in four International tourists who visits us comes from the UK,” he said. “The pandemic is moving at different rates and it would have been more logical if restrictions were applied in regions with the highest level of regrowth, not over the entire country. The British Government’s measure is going to have a devastating impact on the industry."
The Alliance for Tourism Excellence, or Exceltur, Chairman, Gabriel Escarrer, took an even tougher line.
"That the British Government did not previously warn Spain about this decision, which has also been challenged by businesses such as EasyJet and Jet2, is a clear challenge to their own Government and a reflection of its absolute discrepancy with the measure adopted,” he said. “These quarantines could become the tip of an agonising season, this news is devastating, it could not be more dramatic, especially for the Balearics, Benidorm, the Costa del Sol and the Canary Islands.”
Balearic Hotel owners said they were extremely disappointed and concerned about what might happen in the coming weeks.
"Hotel closures are going to be widespread, so the economic losses will be huge, especially for those who work with British Tourism," they said.
The World Health Organisation General Secretary, Zurab Pololikashvili warned that unilateral measures to combat Covid-19 "can be confusing and have unnecessary consequences,” and stressed that this measure in high season is "very painful".
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DONT BLAME THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT YOU GOT WHAT YOU WANTED I WAS THERE IN PALMA WHEN THE DEMONSTRATORS HAD BANNERS "TOURIST GO HOME" WELL WE HAVE. BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR
People on here are truly thick (Compo) excluded. I am a doctor. It is thought that tge UK death toll was double by delaying lockdown 1 week. Mallorca letting in 20 full flights a day and not checking the passengers could see Malloeca be as bad as Barcelona in 10 days. Thats a fact. People who run businesses or have to cancel holidays are self interested. The science is real. If Mallorca wants Brits, it has to test people from the peninsula.
Flights into the Balearics from Catalonia and the mainland have not been restricted, it is therefore totally logical to treat us in the same way as the virus hot spots. The virus spreads virulently and the Uk Gov are being cautious. Quite correctly.
Quarantine from an island that has much less corona virus than us is absolutely unbelievable!! I do hope UK seriously thinks long and hard on this one. I am sure come the autumn/winter months there may be a little more hesitation but now?? Mallorca is safer, quieter and certainly more sunny than UK. Clean air is what we need after all this staying home and staying safe !!!
It is the FCO's directive on travel to Majorca which is the killer blow! We were flying to Palma to stay in a villa in Port de Pollenca on August 1st. The FCO ruling means that our family's travel insurance will not cover us. Sadly this is the nail in the coffin of our holiday, and our contribution to the Majorca economy. Everyone loses out. Bad decision British government!
Another badly thought out and ill judged decision by the British Government. No Logic has been used in their decision. I'm ashamed to be British and have these fools in control. They do not reflect the opinions of most British people. I would feel safer in Mallorca than the UK. People here do not follow Covid-19 rules. Hopefully they will realize their error and amend their ridiculous decision!
The stoping of travel to the Islands of Spain is nothing more than Boris & Cummings covering their own A---S. first, they put a 14-day self-isolate law in place for the whole of Spain including the Islands, then on top of that they ban mainland Spain from travel but they keep the 14 days isolate for the Island who have a very LOW infection rate. However, those at No 10 then realized that if they made ALL those on holiday in the island self-isolate on return there would be a massive outcry from bosses who would /could sack anyone not returning to work after there holidays. So what did they do? BAN ALL TRAVEL to ALL parts of Spain JOB DONE no one need to be off work and Boris and his BACK TO WORK POLICY would be intact. Tell the truth Boris and we will be behind you 100% lie to us and it will come back to bite you on your behind.