The citizens of Spain are slowly starting to breathe again; the nationwide lockdown has suffocated both its people and the economy, but plans announced by the Spain government have been well-received.
After being at the forefront of the Coronavirus pandemic, Spain has recorded daily lows of new Coronavirus cases over the past week.
This is amidst a structured four phase plan of reopening that began sometime mid-March. Each phase roughly lasts about 2 weeks, which is the incubation period of the virus. This puts the full reopening process at about six to eight weeks.
According to Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, “By the end of June, we as a country will have entered into the new normality if the epidemic remains under control”.
It started with the partial reopening of small businesses, and as the country ventures deeper into its various phases, parts of the economy will slowly reopen.
F&B businesses will begin with delivery and takeaway services before fully reopening with social distancing measures in place. Professional sports teams can go back to training as various other businesses start to operate but at minimal capacity.
So, what does this all mean for international visitors?
Essentially, if everything goes according to plan, Spain will be open to tourists come late June. This will significantly help to reboot the economy, one that has always been highly dependent on tourism to flourish.
This follows the reopening of tourist attractions across Europe such as the Parthenon in Greece and the tomb and basilica of St Francis in Assini, Italy.
With the health scare of the virus still fresh in everyone’s minds, it’ll probably be awhile before Spain sees its usual numbers for tourism, but at the very least, it’ll be a welcome start as the country seeks to get back on its feet.
As Transport Minister Jose Luis Abalos illustrated, “We must make Spain an attractive country from the health point of view.” For a country that has seen over 231,000 cases, it must be prepared to combat against a fresh wave as it reopens to the world.
