Balearics seeking Spain government authorisation for pilot tourism project allowing German tourists to visit the holiday islands in June

THE Balearic administration is seeking authorisation from the Spanish government to run a pilot tourism project which could see up to 3,000 tourists, mainly Germans, visit the islands in June, regional president Francina Armengol announced today Wednesday.

Armengol explained that the idea is to carry out the tourism ‘trial runs’ in the second fortnight of June with tour operators as it would allow for “better control” over visitor arrivals, and said she was in contact with Tourism Minister Reyes Maroto on the matter.

She underlined the importance of presenting the Balearics as a “safe destination” in order to encourage tourists to visit in the peak months of July and August, and to potentially extend the season.

More than anything, she stressed, it is important to ensure the evolution of the coronavirus pandemic on the islands continues to go in the right direction in order to be able to move forward into “a higher rhythm of reopening.”

The regional president defended the request presented to the Health Ministry to allow Mallorca, Ibiza, Menorca and Formentera to all pass into Phase three of the lockdown de-escalation next Monday rather than wait another week.

The regional administration wants residents to be able to travel between the islands, in the expectation this would be a boost to the archipelago’s coronavirus crisis-hammered tourism sector.

Armengol did also say however that the regional government is not asking for a reopening of nightlife at this time.