Experts warn Britons not to expect holidays to Spain until September due to coronavirus outbreak

8 April 2020, 10:25

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Spain is a popular summer destination for thousands of families in the UK.

But as the coronavirus pandemic continues to affect the whole world, it seems as though Brits won’t be spending their holidays in the Costa del Sol.

The UK’s foreign office advised against booking non-essential travel, having changed its restriction from April 15 to ‘indefinitely’ on Monday.

And now President of Benidorm's British Businesses Association, Karen Maling Cowles, has said we shouldn’t ‘build our hopes up’ about travelling to Spain any earlier than September.

She told Sun Online Travel: "I don't personally think that we’re going to start recovering from this until June or July and even that’s maybe early.

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"But British tourism I don't see happening until September. Because the UK is still so far behind Spain and until you have it contained, people won’t be allowed to come and have their week in Benidorm.

"Otherwise, the locals will all be scared that they're going to get it and then it will be uncontrolled again.

She added “movement has to be contained” before people can begin to start thinking about their holidays again.

As of Wednesday morning, Spain had over 140,000 cases of COVID-19 and 14,000 deaths.

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Similarly to the UK, hotels have been closed in the country since March 26, with only British nationals who can prove they are resident in Spain allowed to enter the country.

Despite the reports, the CEO of Skyscanner, Bryan Dove, has released a statement telling holidaymakers that “will explore the world again”

He said: “We are in the middle of a planet-defining moment. COVID-19 has, in a short space of time, changed our lives. I expect the coming weeks will be even tougher but I believe there is a case for hope and optimism about what’s on the other side.

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“We’re seeing an unprecedented level of support from individuals and companies that gives me tremendous hope that the humans on this planet will be there to support, love and pull each other through this. We are here for you, fellow travellers.

“We will explore the world again. And when we do, we will treasure the memories and shared experiences it creates more than ever.

“Until then, we’ll do everything we can to bring you the information that matters.”