Spain to lift travel restrictions for EU and Schengen countries
Spain plans to lift quarantine measures today for all residents of the EU and the passport-free Schengen zone.
However, Spain will only consider re-opening borders to UK residents if the UK takes reciprocal measures for Spanish citizens. These restrictions pose a significant challenge for Spanish tourism industries, as British visitors make up the largest national group to visit the country. Further complicating the tourism industry’s recovery, the UK has also indicated that it will not take part in an EU-led data-sharing project to provide travellers with information about rules and status of infections in each country, reasoning they do not need to be included in an EU map and can report information via country-specific channels.
As the UK continues to express its commitment to Brexit by diverging from EU policy, Spain will likely suffer from the UK’s lack of participation. Separate COVID-19 reporting will likely further complicate Spain’s response as restrictions are further lifted. More importantly, expect Spain’s tourism industry to be affected by a reduction in visitors due to border restrictions and asymmetrical information.
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