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Date Published: 09/02/2022

ARCHIVED - UK families cancel half-term Spain trips due to child jab rules

ARCHIVED ARTICLE

Over-12s need to be fully vaccinated in order to enter Spain on holiday

<span style='color:#780948'>ARCHIVED</span> - UK families cancel half-term Spain trips due to child jab rules

Many British families have cancelled their planned half-term holidays to Spain because of the rule stating that everyone, including children over 12 years old, must be double vaccinated to enter.

UK families with children are finding they are being ‘locked out’ of some holiday destinations, like Spain, because their children have not had enough time to receive both vaccine jabs. It is not so much of a lack of willingness to get their kids vaccinated, but rather a problem of disparity between the vaccination rates of over-12s in Spain and the UK.

Spain’s decision to cancel its rule demanding that people wear masks outside as of Thursday February 10 will prompt some travellers to now consider holidaying in the country, but the requirement to be fully vaccinated is putting off many more.

Hotel owners on Spain’s islands say the restrictions have lost them millions in revenue, and are calling on the Spanish government to relax its restrictions to allow in more British travellers. However, if this does happen it will not be until after half-term.

As of Friday February 11, people travelling to the UK will no longer need to take any Covid tests as long as they are fully vaccinated. However, Brits travelling to Spain need to be fully vaccinated if they are travelling for leisure purposes, i.e. on holiday.

Additionally, anyone who had their second jab more than nine months before their journey to Spain needs to have had a booster shot.

As stated by the Embassy of Spain in the United Kingdom, from Tuesday February 1 onwards, “passengers who completed their COVID-19 Vaccination (with both doses of a 2-dose vaccine or one dose of a single-dose vaccine) more than 270 days prior to travel to Spain, must be able to show proof of having received a COVID-19 Booster jab.”

The Embassy has released a handy table for travellers to see at a glance the current entry requirements to Spain as of February 1, depending on their country of departure and reason for travel.

A lot of people re-arranged their Christmas trips for half-term instead after Omicron put paid to plans at the end of December. For the spring half-term, which begins on Monday February 14, Spanish destinations like the Canary Islands are often a popular vacation spot for families seeking good weather without a long flight. As a result of the Covid rules, though, many affected families are postponing their holiday plans until Easter or choosing a different destination.

Tourism businesses in the Canary Islands say they have lost a significant number of bookings at what is usually a crucial time of year. Jorge Marichal, president of the Tenerife Hoteliers Association, wants the Spanish government to change its rules so that more British families can come: “The loss could be nearly 400 million euros in the Canary Islands. That’s only talking about the hotels – if we take into account the restaurant economy, it is a huge impact.

“For us the British market is the biggest one. We have more than 2.5 million British citizens coming to Tenerife every normal year. For us this part of the year is one of the most important. All these profits will be lost.”

Tour operator TUI said recent rule changes were “a huge leap forwards in getting travel back to normal”.

“We’re already seeing a trend of ‘test-free holidays’ for customers who are fully vaccinated, as people look to go abroad with ease and without the added expense of testing."

You may also like: TUI announces direct flights between UK and Almeria

Spain is not the only country with strict entry requirements for UK visitors. In France, for example, over-16s need to prove they are vaccinated to gain access to certain activities, including getting a ski pass, while unvaccinated children between 12 and 15 years old can take a daily Covid test.

Meanwhile, Portugal and Greece have both announced an easing of their entry rules this week.

Now read: Fines of up to 50k for drunk and disorderly Brits visiting Spanish Islands

Image 1: Archive

Image 2: Embassy of Spain in the United Kingdom

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