Spain Is Still A ‘Safe Destination’ for Tourists, Minister Says
Spain Is Still A ‘Safe Destination’ for Tourists, Minister Says
(Bloomberg) -- Spain remains a secure place for tourists to visit, even as a surge in Covid-19 cases triggers a slew of fresh restrictions in travel hotspots such as Catalonia, Tourism Minister Reyes Maroto said.
“Spain at this time can be considered a safe destination,” Maroto said in a news conference after the government’s weekly cabinet meeting in Madrid.
She spoke hours after Catalan officials announced plans to slap a 10-person limit on social gatherings and order all non-essential activity to end at 12:30 a.m. as the region takes fresh steps to rein in a jump in infections.
With other regions including Valencia also imposing new restrictions, France and Germany are among countries that have highlighted the risks of holidaying in Spain with Covid-19 cases on the rise again. While the French health minister later said people “shouldn’t panic,” the warnings are a setback for a Spanish tourism industry that accounts for 12% of the country’s economic output.
The country’s 14-day case notification rate per 100,000 inhabitants has shot up to 368, according to government data. That’s up from about a 100 a month ago. The rate in Catalonia stands at about 723.
At the moment, there are 3,892 patients in Spanish hospitals with Covid-19, up from about 3,400 a month ago.
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