Spain uses digital platform to open international tourism

From this week, Spain opens international tourism to all countries in the world. Immigration procedures are relatively quick, visitors are controlled through a digital platform and a QR code.
Towards the goal of restoring “world tourism leadership”, Spain is officially open to international tourism, regardless of visitors coming from low-risk or high-risk countries. Previously, Spain began testing international arrivals from a number of European, Oceania and Middle Eastern countries at the end of May.

In a recent statement, Spanish Health Minister Carolina Darias affirmed that “Spain is a safe destination” and hopes that the country’s tourism industry will soon restore its position; In the context of favorable progress of vaccination, life here gradually returns to normal. Tourists arrive in Spain on June 7, at the airport in the city of Malaga. Source: Reuters At airports and ports, the Spanish government has two different checkpoints, for visitors from high-risk and low-risk countries, respectively. If coming from a high-risk area, travelers must have a vaccination certificate, a negative test result or proof that they have recovered from Covid-19. Children under the age of six are exempt from these procedures. Visitors from low-risk areas are not required to provide the above documents; they will be controlled through a QR code, after declaring it on the Spanish Travel Health (SpTH) digital platform. This platform facilitates quick and convenient entry for visitors. Arriving in Spain on June 7, Ms. Carla Grahuer (Israel) said: “The procedures and forms are filled out online so it is very quick. If you fill out all the information, you have had your vaccination and PCR test done. There won’t be any problems.” On the first day of opening, activity at Adolfo Suarez Madrid-Barajas Airport in Madrid remained low compared to the busy tourist flow before the Covid-19 crisis. Before the pandemic, Spain was the second largest host of international visitors in the world. In 2020, international tourism in Spain has dropped by 80%, leaving beaches, fortresses and hotels almost deserted.