Spain To Welcome Back International Cruises From June 7

Spain To Welcome Back International Cruises From June 7.

The Spanish transport ministry said it will allow cruise ships to dock in its ports from June 7, in the latest bid to salvage the country’s battered tourism sector in time for the summer 2021 season.

Spain’s maritime authorities approved the reopening because of falling COVID-19 incidence rates and an increase in vaccinations, according to an order in Spain’s state gazette published on Saturday, May 29.

Spain banned cruise ships from docking in its ports back in June 2020 as the pandemic ripped through Europe. A number of high-profile spreader events were linked to cruise liners around the world with passengers and crew being taken ill, some died onboard and many were taken ashore to ICU’s.

“Shipping companies will have to comply with measures established by the health ministry … to guarantee total security, both for cruise passengers and for the cities where they land,” the transport ministry tweeted on Saturday.

A spokesman for the ministry added that before the pandemic, Spain was the second most popular destination for international cruises in Europe.

Spain, which was also the second most visited country in the world before the health crisis, was one of Europe’s worst-hit nations, recording over 79,000 coronavirus deaths and 3.7 million cases. Foreign tourism plunged 80% last year as a raft of restrictions brought the industry to a standstill.

But with infection rates falling, vaccinations progressing, and most regions able to scrap curfews, Spain is looking towards reopening its vital tourism industry this summer.

Last week Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced Spain would allow people from anywhere in the world to enter the country from June 7, provided they were vaccinated.

Related:

Carnival Corporation received notification from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention that it has accepted the company’s agreements with PortMiami, the Port of Galveston, and Port Canaveral as a key step in the restart of cruise operations for Carnival Cruise Line.

The CDC’s approval for Carnival comes in the same week the health agency also approved Celebrity Cruises to become the first large ship cruise line to restart cruises from a U.S. port and approved Royal Caribbean International’s plan for a simulated cruise.

The Euro Weekly News is running a campaign to help reunite Brits in Spain with their family and friends by capping the costs of PCR tests for travel. Please help us urge the government to cap costs at https://euroweeklynews.com/2021/04/16/ewn-champions-the-rights-of-brits-in-spain-to-see-loved-ones-again/

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