The British are in a hurry to book a holiday in Spain

The British are rushing to book a holiday in Spain this summer after the news that the government in Madrid is preparing a "green corridor" for tourists vaccinated against COVID-19. The sharp increase in reservations has been triggered by comments from Spanish Tourism Minister Fernando Valdés, who confirmed earlier this week that Spain and the United Kingdom are "negotiating" possible travel restrictions for who will be vaccinated against the new coronavirus if no collective decision is taken by the European Union (EU) on "passports" for the vaccinated. At the same time, the UK government last week announced a plan to gradually lift the blockades, including the possibility of traveling abroad from 17 May. And immediately after the publication of this plan, Spanish holiday companies saw increased demand from British customers who wanted to fly south. Hotel Nobu on Ibiza’s Talamanca Beach, for example, has seen bookings increase by up to 250% in just one week, while the Puente Romano beach resort in Marbella has already reached 50% occupancy in August. The interest in renting holiday villas is also huge. Thinking Traveler reported a 100% increase in applications over the same period last year and more than three times as much as last week. Airlines also saw a sharp increase in bookings last week due to renewed passenger confidence. EasyJet ticket sales for June, July and August have quadrupled in recent days, while TUI has reported a 600% increase in bookings in Spain, Greece and Turkey.