Hotels will be able to open from May 11

The President of the Government, Pedro Sanchez, has communicated this Tuesday, April 28, the de-escalation plan to be followed in the national territory in which one of its points will allow hotels to open in phase 1, which will start from May 11. The return to normality will be organized in four phases, which may be different depending on the different territories, i.e. provinces. Each phase will last two weeks.

"The de-escalation will be gradual, asymmetric and coordinated. We are going to do it in phases, the unit will be the province or the island, but there will be no mobility between provinces or islands," said the president of the government. 

The islands of Formentera, Gomera, El Hierro and La Graciosa will start phase 1 on May 4, since they are part of the territories where the level of coronavirus infections has been minimal. In the rest of the Spanish territory, phase 0 will start on May 11. In total, the de-escalation will last between 6 and 8 weeks depending on how the virus evolves. If the level of infection in a province remains high, it will not be able to move on to the next phase.

In phase 1, small businesses will be able to open under strict security restrictions. Large shopping centers and terraces will also be allowed to open, but with an occupancy level of 30 percent. Therefore, travel agencies will be able to open from May 11 (phase 1). During this phase there will be a preferential schedule for the most vulnerable people, those over 65 years old. In public transport the use of face masks will be highly recommended.

In this phase 1 it will be possible to reopen hotels and tourist accommodations, but not the use of common areas. That is to say, there will be no food or buffet service for customers staying in tourist establishments. However, in phase 2, the interior space of the restaurant premises will be opened for table service with a third of the capacity. In addition, in this phase it will also be possible to hold shows with a third of its capacity. 

Phase 3, expected in early June, will mean a major change for the tourism sector, allowing the opening of beaches to the public.