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Spain hoping to reopen to overseas tourists from late June
Spain’s transport minister believes the country could reopen to foreign tourists next month.
Jose Luis Abalos said from late June, he hoped Spain would be able to start some "tourism activity".
He told Spanish broadcaster TVE the country first had to become "attractive from the health point of view".
Spain has been one of the countries worst affected by coronavirus, recording nearly 28,000 deaths. It has been under strict lockdown since mid-March, but this is now being eased.
The country last week introduced a two-week quarantine on arrival requirement for overseas travellers, similar to the measures the UK government confirmed on Monday (18 May) would apply from June.
Abalos though said Spain’s quarantine requirement would be temporary and would be phased out as movement within Spain is restored on a region by region basis.
"As soon as we Spaniards can travel to other provinces, foreigners will be able to come to Spain," said Abalos.
Hundreds of thousands of Britons travel every year to Spain’s holiday hotspots, notably the Canary Islands and Balearic Islands, where life is beginning to return to normal.
However, Abalos confirmed the country’s first priority would be its citizens. "We can’t allow foreigners to travel while the Spanish population is confined," he said.
Tourism accounts for around 12% of Spain’s economic output
Elsewhere in Europe, Italy, plans to reopen its borders on 3 June, while Germany will review its travel warning in mid-June.
Portugal has softened its lockdown, and is slowly progressing towards normality with additional measures being relaxed on a fortnightly basis.
James Chapple
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