The presidents of the Balearics and Valencia, Francina Armengol and Ximo Puig, met in Valencia on Wednesday and announced that there is to be an alliance between the two regions, with common strategies related to projects financed by European recovery funds.
One of these projects, the presidents stated, should be the use of European funds to pay for travellers' PCR tests. This funding would be within the framework of guaranteeing mobility and economic recovery of safe destinations.
Saying that there is to be a Balearics-Valencia summit in the Balearics in June or July, the two presidents explained that they have been working together for several weeks in setting out a series of projects under the umbrella of the "blue economy". Depending on the final distribution of the European funds, these projects will concern sustainable transport, adaptation to climate change, innovation, redefinition of the tourism model and professional training.
The Balearics and Valencia are the two regions with the best coronavirus situation. Armengol said that since Christmas and because of the presence of the UK variant, there has been a slow and measured de-escalation of restrictions and therefore reopening of economic activities.
Puig highlighted the importance of the tourism season for both regions, saying that Valencia and the Balearics are in favour of the European Union's digital green certificate, which is due to be operational in June. This will be "a certificate of vaccination and mobility that will be completed with a PCR". "If vaccines are free, the PCR tests should be as well, in order that people can travel again."
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The "European Funds" is the Spanish taxpayers money, and should be allocated for their benefit first and foremost. This also applies to the millions in proceeds from the infamous tourist tax, suposedly designed for the improvement of our envoirment, not free grants for the hoteliers reforms, while our streets are full of potholes....
It will come back to bite them. When U.K government decide who gets green light or amber, they will see that a a very low percentage of residents here have vaccinated. So yes, they should be worried more about us than the tourists.
How about using the cash for citizens of the Balearic's. that's what its supposed to be for. A recovery fund for the people who have struggled and are still struggling to put food on the table. If folk can afford to go on holiday voluntarily, then they should fork out for the PCR test themselves. Then again politicians going on holiday would probably claim the costs back in expenses, as obviously they would be on 'BUSINESS' trips ;-)
Spot on Tom, been saying this for some time. The Hoteliers Federatiin are behind it...
All the government does is think about tourists ! Instead of finding ways to vaccinate faster its own people here ! Very poor performance so far on vaccination progress ! Mixing high percentage of unvaccinated population with the never ending tourists the government wants attract to Mallorca is recipy to become the next India Hot Spot for Covid ! Then there will be zero tourists !