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Canary Islands plead with Madrid to change vaccine rules

Operators
Gary Noakes
7 February 2022

The Canary Islands have called on mainland Spain’s government to stop them losing out to other destinations by relaxing vaccination rules for UK visitors.

The Canary Islands fear summer bookings will be lost to other destinations

Yaiza Castilla, the islands’ tourism minister, has asked Madrid to drop the requirement for anyone over the age of 12 to be fully vaccinated to enter Spain. The islands were losing out to Egypt in the current winter season, she said, with summer bookings going to Greece and Turkey.

Canarian Weekly said the vaccine requirement had affected families with children aged 12-15, who had had to cancel holidays to the islands.

“The measure has seriously harmed the Canaries since its implementation, and in December alone, an estimated 100,000 bookings from British tourists were cancelled,” the newspaper said.