Ashotel warns that British vaccination requirements complicate Christmas bookings

SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, Dec. 1 (EUROPA PRESS) –

The Hotel and Extra-Hotel Association of Tenerife, La Palma, La Gomera and El Hierro (Ashotel) has stated that the requirement of full vaccination for British people over 12 years of age complicates
family reserves this Christmas; however, the occupancy forecast survey of the tourism employers’ association for the associated accommodation facility in Tenerife predicts an average of 72% for this month.

Ashotel has indicated in a note that the expectations of the sector, initially good for this high season, are currently contained after the approval of the Order of the Ministry of the Interior that modifies the current criteria of temporary restriction of tourist trips and that especially affects the British market by the situation, in terms of vaccination, in which the minors between 12 and 17 years of said nationality and from the United Kingdom are found.

As a result of this ministerial order, all British citizens over 12 years of age begin to require a complete vaccination certificate at least 14 days in advance before arriving in Spain, as well as adults, when the British have begun to direct second dose to adolescents a few days ago.

“This circumstance endangers many family reservations for this summer Christmas period, since it is logical that adults do not leave their children behind without a complete vaccination schedule”, warns the president of Ashotel, Jorge Marichal.

This measure does not contemplate for now the possibility that these adolescents without a vaccination certificate are allowed to enter our country with a negative Active Infection Diagnostic Test (PDIA) as up to now, according to the aforementioned Interior order.

Along with this new restriction, the sector is paying attention to the evolution of the new variant of COVID-19, Ómicron, which already generates movements of cancellations in reservations at the national level and also in the Canary Islands of several of the main issuing markets and has forced several European governments to strengthen their security measures.

DECEMBER FORECASTS

Even so, the hotel and non-hotel plant associated with Ashotel in Tenerife currently foresees an average occupancy of 72% this last month of the year, one of the most important in the high season in the Islands, according to data from the internal survey of occupancy forecast prepared in November by the hotel management.

By areas of Tenerife, the south of the island is the one with the highest occupancy, with an average of 75%, compared to 63.5% in the north and almost 60% in the metropolitan area. The aforementioned survey also shows that more than half of the establishments surveyed (52%) consider that this winter season will be better than the one before the pandemic, 2019-2020.

The hotel and non-hotel establishments associated with Ashotel have closed November in Tenerife with more than 95% reopening. By zones, the north is already 100% (41 establishments), while in the south, of the 148 associates, six associate establishments remain to be opened (95.9%) and in the metropolitan area, of the 20 associates, there are four to open (80%).

For this month of December, the reopening of three more establishments in Tenerife is expected and the rest points to January 2022