Ibiza starts the summer with only 40% of its hotel accommodation open as a result of the covid pandemic but, above all, due to the UK’s tourist ban. If the British government does not give Spain, or the Balearic Islands at least, the green light this Thursday it is not expected that more establishments will open.
The president of the Pitiusas Hotel Federation, Ana Gordillo, says that many hoteliers are waiting for the UK’s decision this week, but also points out that, in the event of the green light, then “they will no doubt assess whether it is worth opening from July.” “If the English market does not shift, it will be difficult to improve on what we have now,” the manager of the hotel federation, Manuel Sendino said.
Gordillo highlights “the fatigue” suffered by the sector because, “after the great effort that has been made this winter” (confined at home with the harshest restrictions in Spain and a very gradual de-escalation) the uncertainty of the British market, the main one in Ibiza, with 30% of the total demand, “affects the situation a lot”. “It seems more a political issue than a health one,” says the representative of the hotel sector on the subject of the British veto.
Vaccination without age limits
Gordillo also points out that although air connections are being reactivated, it is still far from what can be considered normality, and insists that right now the “most important” thing is to make more progress in the vaccination process and start to immunise the population “without age limits as soon as possible”. “We must begin to vaccinate all the people who want to do it without age restrictions,” he says.
Last season, the first affected by the pandemic, started later than this year. The de-escalation began in June throughout Spain but hotels opened at the end of that month or in July. However, unlike this year, only half “or a little more” of all the hotel accommodation has opened, explained Manuel Sendino.
The main difference is that this year, at the moment, there are no English tourists. “Everything is very mixed up and uncertain, but in the case of British tourism, it is dead. It is an important difference. The other markets are operating”, states the manager of the hotel association.
In this sense, Gordillo highlights “the positive information” that domestic, Dutch and Italian reservations for July and August “are encouraging”. “In 2020 more hotels opened, but we hope that this year we will have a better July and August than last summer. I’m sure we will. And if the British come… ”, adds the president of the hoteliers, who reiterates that the Dutch market, like the domestic one, is now very active on the island.
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