Travellers WOULD be put off if Canaries insist on negative Covid test
A third of respondents in a TravelMole Twitter poll say clients would be put off visiting the Canaries if the islands required a negative Covid-19 test.
Bookings are booming for the Canaries, since the UK government added them to its travel corridor list last week – however, the region is looking at introducing a new law requiring tourists to produce a negative Covid test before being allowed in.
The islands’ president Angel Victor Torres and Minister of Tourism Yaiza Castillo have said the regional government wants the new law in place within two weeks.
It’s expected an announcement will be made today.
Existing proposals would require tourists to produce evidence of a negative Covid test taken no more than 72 hours before their visit. Alternatively, they will have to take a test on arrival at a private clinic. If it’s positive, they won’t be allowed to stay at their hotel and will have to go into quarantine instead.
The cost will have to be borne by the visitor, but the Canaries are believed to be favouring an antigen test, which is faster and cheaper than a PCR test.
The TravelMole poll shows 34% of respondents believe their clients would be prepared to go, while the same percentage would not be willing to book a holiday to the Canaries if the new rule was brought in.
The remainder (32%) said it would depend on the type of test.
The Mole says:
Although the poll sample is small, it does show those selling holidays to the Canary Islands are concerned that some clients may not want to book if the new rules come into force.
By Lisa James, Deputy Editor (UK)
Lisa
Lisa joined Travel Weekly nearly 25 years ago as technology reporter and then sailed around the world for a couple of years as cruise correspondent, before becoming deputy editor. Now freelance, Lisa writes for various print and web publications, edits Corporate Traveller’s client magazine, Gateway, and works on the acclaimed Remembering Wildlife series of photography books, which raise awareness of nature’s most at-risk species and helps to fund their protection.
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