Spain will soon be included on the list of European countries which are planning to soon introduce a ‘vaccination certificate’ that would facilitate the movement of travellers and help the tourism sector to recover from the damages caused by the Coronavirus pandemic.
The Minister of Tourism for Spain, Reyes Maroto, has announced that the central government is working to introduce a ‘vaccination certificate’, which will have the same functions the ones that are set to be launched by Denmark, Greece, Iceland, and backed by the European Union Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen.
According to Maroto, the government’s responsibility was not only “resistance to the virus but also the recovery and maintenance of Spain’s leadership in terms of tourism competitiveness”, adding that the government’s support in the tourism sector is extraordinary, highlighting the importance of “transforming and digitalising” to keep competitiveness.
Spain’s tourism sector has faced a 75% decrease in the revenues, and a drop of 20 million in the number of international visitors, during last year. Based on October 2020 figures, about 17,8 million international tourists visited Spain during last year, which shows that the decrease in international tourists’ number is comparable to 1968 (19.2 million international tourists) and 1969 data (about 21.7 million international tourists).
In spring last year, a European Union official said that internationals wishing to travel to the Schengen area countries, once the European countries start to receive their vaccine doses, will have to present evidence that they have had the vaccine against Covid-19, to be permitted to enter the borderless area.
Earlier this month, Denmark’s Ministry of Health revealed that it is working on launching the ‘vaccine passport’ to help its citizens travel to countries where vaccination would become a mandatory requirement for entry, and immediately after Greece Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, urged the European Commission to establish a common document that can be used by the EU Member States. His idea was backed by the EU President, Ursula von der Leyen.
The plan of creating “vaccination passports” has been opposed by the Emergency Committee of the World Health Organization Committee (WHO), which asserts that the countries should not impose such requirements, as vaccines’ impact on reducing transmission is not yet known, although AstraZeneca announced yesterday that a single dose of their vaccine reduces transmission by 67%.
