As Coronavirus Hits Spain’s Costa’s – Airline Cancellations Double And Hotels Prepare For Financial Uncertainty

The Coronavirus hitting Spain’s Costa regions and spreading at a fast pace from the initial outbreak has now seen a record amount of passengers not board their flights to Spain.

According to Simon Watson who operates out of Bristol airport,  told the Euro Weekly News this morning: ” Last night the airlines that fly to Spain had the most passengers not turn up for their flights, fully booked flights saw half empty planes where clearly the spread of coronavirus has put them off traveling and whilst at this late stage they won’t get a refund, they place their health and safety first”.

” I can’t see it getting any better now, although the airlines have been paid prior I would now expect bookings to vastly drop – people are not going to fly into effected regions. and the airlines I feel will suffer financially now, already their stocks have dropped drastically with profit warnings, the more worrying thing is the knock on effect with job losses”

Meanwhile hoteliers and bar owners who rely on the tourism trade are already seeing the knock on effect, one hotel owner who didn’t wish to be named told us “Guests who have booked in have not turned up to take their reservations, at present many of the bookings are pre paid with no cancellation options, but the future could look bleak if this continues, we are an independent hotel not a national chain with banks of reserve cash and it’s extremely worrying, we have to put on entertainment for the guests for example that costs but this normally is covered by bar takings but that will be like trying to put square pegs into round holes, that’s just one example, last night 34 guests did not arrive for example”

Bars Abroad owner Gary Adamson said ” It’s worrying times for Bar owners who live off the life of the tourist and visitor to Spain although as I’m saying to my customers, look what happens when it snows in England and how people still rush out to stock up on milk! everything still returns to normal quickly doesn’t it?, in a few weeks I think this will all blow over”