Spain’s Holiday Islands Get Welcome Surprise with Madrid Government Bonus

SPAIN’S holiday islands have received a welcome Madrid government bonus from this Monday.

As the country continues to relax its State of Alarm lockdown emergency measures, the government has announced today (May 30) that outside terrace capacity for restaurants and bars in three of the Canary Islands has been increased from next week.

The Official Bulletin has published details today that 75 per cent of normal capacity will be permitted for terraces on the islands of La Graciosa, El Hierro and La Gomera in the Canaries, plus Formentera in the Balearic Islands.

The four islands enter Phase 3 of the lockdown relaxations on June 1, where up to 20 people will be able to meet and commercial centres can operate at up to 40 per cent of their regular capacity.

The Costa del Sol and Costa Blanca regions on the mainland get into Phase 2 this coming Monday.

Other relaxations for the four islands include up to 50 per cent of normal capacity being allowed in leisure and hotel community areas.

The islands, because of their low coronavirus infection rates, are likely to see the first influx of international tourists in a few weeks time, from key areas like Germany.

Last weekend, Spain’s Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez said that international tourism would resume from July 1, and it was confirmed a few days later that travel quarantines would be lifted.

It’s unclear though whether Spain would follow the example of countries like Greece which has issued an interim list of countries where tourists would be allowed to travel from come mid-June.

That approved list does not have Spain, the UK or Italy on it, though the Greeks said that they would be reviewing the list on a regular basis.