Spain Extends International Travel Ban to June as Borders Could Stay Closed Even Longer in Fresh Holiday Setback To Ailing Tourist Sector

SPAIN’S borders could stay closed past mid-June in a new travel blow to the country’s ailing tourist sector.

The country has announced that it is extending a travel ban to all non-essential visitors through to June 15, which matches the European Union policy to do the same.

The new government order pushes past the original cut-off date of May 24, and also goes way past the current period of Spain’s State of Alarm emergency measures.

A government source said that “restrictions are likely to remain in place no matter how important tourism is for the Spanish economy.”

That was taken as a strong hint that international travel curbs could run into July.

Only Spanish nationals and non-Spaniards with official residencia documents that prove that Spain is where they live are allowed in via flights, sea journeys and land border crossings.

There are some limited exceptions including special category workers and diplomats.

Land borders with France and Portugal were closed to most people since the State of Alarm was implemented in mid-March to fight the coronavirus pandemic, pushing the economy to a near stand-still and hitting its key tourist sector hard.