New research revealed that consumer confidence was impacted by the sudden reintroduction of quarantine requirements for travelers arriving in the UK from Spain. This decision was taken along with the Foreign & Commonwealth Office’s decision against all but essential travel to the whole of Spain. This has made travelers conscious about booking a trip.
The advice is a cause of concern for Spain
Ben Cordwell, a tourism analyst at GlobalData, said: “The government’s sudden announcement will make British holidaymakers nervous about traveling to any country in case there is a sudden rise in Covid-19 infections and a subsequent sudden change in rules. Our recovery consumer survey results state that 82% of Brits are still extremely or quite concerned about the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, meaning residents will take government advice seriously.”
“According to GlobalData, the UK made up nearly a quarter of all international arrivals to Spain in 2019, highlighting the significant impact that the Foreign Office’s advice will have on the country’s tourism recovery. However, the advice is not only a cause for concern for Spain. The timing of the Foreign Office announcement could not be worse for tourism companies.
“July and August are by far the most popular months of travel for British tourists as it is the peak of summer and falls within the school summer holidays. For Spain, and possibly more European markets to miss out on this vital period will be devastating for companies. A summer without British tourists could make it extremely difficult for many companies to survive the quiet winter months,” Cordwell added.
Scheduled passenger flights showed slow recovery
However, the latest tracking data from Cirium showed the slow recovery in scheduled passenger jet flights between the UK and Spain. More than 220 scheduled passenger jet flights operated between the UK and Spain on Saturday, July 25th. Only 180 flights operated on July 26th after the quarantine announcement that evening.
Ryanair was the leading operator between the two countries on July 27th with approximately 50 flights. Jet2 and easyJet also resumed with nearly 40 flights each. British Airways flew fewer than 20 services while fellow IAG Group carrier Vueling completed a handful of services. Cirium has also classified an additional 116 passenger jets as ‘in service’ globally in the last 24 hours. The in-storage passenger aircraft numbers were down to 35% of the global passenger fleet, with 65% now in service.
Also Read: Spain Eliminated From UK Safe-Travel List
