Spain has announced that they will be taking radical measures this coming June in an attempt to kick-start their travel industry.
New Measures to All Tourist into Spain This Summer
Under the new measures, anyone who is a European Union citizen will be allowed to enter the country without isolating or undergoing PCR testing. This is contingent upon the traveller producing a Digital Green Certificate.
While there are no plans to make this a compulsory scheme, there is a feeling that this could soon follow. Travellers will still, in the meantime, be allowed to travel without the certificate provided that they give a valid reason.
In an official statement given by Alfredo Gonzales, the country’s health minister, he welcomed the plans:
“It will allow for more people to arrive in a safer manner and facilitate the mobility of people in the European Union, guarantee public health protection and permit social and economic activity to resume free of charge.”
This is part of a wider plan from the European Union Commission. Its President, Ursula von der Leyen, has stressed that the certificate will include details about a citizen’s vaccination history. On it, we can expect to see whether a traveller has been vaccinated, any prior history of Covid and their destination.
In an official statement, the President outlined how this will enable free travel once again:
“The Digital Green Pass should facilitate Europeans’ lives. The aim is to gradually enable them to move safely in the European Union or abroad – for work or tourism.”
So how would a traveller obtain a certificate?
The health minister confirmed that the relevant authorities of each country would be responsible for issuing the certificates. Nevertheless, there are still some things which need to be ironed out.
The Commission has spoken on the importance of getting this right, as concerns over privacy continue to push back any attempts for a digital certificate. There is an understandable worry that such certificates could be duplicated, hacked, altered or even sold on a black market to entice those looking to flout the rules.
Although these issues could occur, the President has stressed that the benefits outweigh any potential risks. That is why the President emphasised that there are still hurdles that need to be overcome. She added: “There is lots of work to do by the Commission on the European level and lots of work to do technically for the member states on the national level.”
With the summer upon us in many countries, the future of travel is still up in the air.
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