Costa Blanca Bar Owners in Spain Anxiously Wait For Reopening Date as Costa del Sol Goes For May

COSTA BLANCA bar owners in Spain are anxiously hoping for an reopening date, as the Costa del Sol says it wants the hospitality trade back in business at the end of May.

Spain’s bar and restaurant sector has taken a gigantic hit during the State of Alarm, but it has received a big boost from the Andalucia region calling for its reopening in their area from May 25.

The Madrid government though has the crucial final decision on how the lockdown rules will be phased out, including when bars and restaurants will reopen.

With that in mind, Andalucia’s President Juanma Moreno has made the formal suggestion over the reopening date to Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez.

That also follows what Sanchez said over the possibility of different regions of the country moving at different speeds in easing out of the lockdown.

His response will be keenly looked at by the hospitality industry across the Costa Blanca, who had to close their doors over six weeks ago.

Some towns in the area have already been looking at how terraces could be changed around to take account of social distancing rules.

Reduced or even totally-waived terrace rentals have been promised to bars and restaurants once they are allowed to reopen.

A number of business owners have suggested that missing out on even a quiet summer could be a final nail in their coffin, after what was a quiet winter for some of them.

A few people have even cast their eyes to moving to other countries like Portugal, whilst some parts of Spain like the Costa del Sol have seen prices for businesses plummet in a bid to get a quick sale.

With Spain’s tourism minister saying earlier this month that increasing domestic tourism was vital, the reopening of bars and restaurants would appear to be an important way of doing just that.