Spain, Portugal frustrated by shifting virus travel policies

LISBON, Portugal (AP) — Spain’s top diplomat pushed back Friday against French cautions over vacationing in the Iberian peninsula, as southern Europe’s holiday hotspots worry that repeated changes to rules on who can visit is putting people off travel.

On Thursday, France’s secretary of state for European affairs, Clément Beaune, advised people to “avoid Spain and Portugal as destinations” when booking their holidays because the French government is considering restrictions on travel to the Iberian neighbors, where COVID-19 infections are surging.

Spanish Foreign Minister Arancha González Laya said the current surge is not translating into more hospitalizations and urged people to be “proportionate” in their response to pandemic trends.

“This is a time for prudence, not for panicking,” she said at a press conference in Madrid. “There is no reason at the moment to ask people to cancel their vacations.”

Visiting French Foreign Minister Yves Le Drian urged people to have a COVID-19 jab before travelling.

“The vaccine is the door to Spain,” he said.

Millions of tourists arriving every year in Spain and Portugal are crucial for the Iberian countries’ economies and jobs. Both hope tourism will help drive an economic recovery after the pandemic.

French tourists staying away would be a major blow.

For Iberian tourism businesses, last year was mostly a washout due to COVID-19 lockdowns and local and international travel restrictions.

This year is turning out to be a wild ride, as rules have flip-flopped amid efforts to resume leisure travel.

Germany on Friday labelled the whole of Spain as a “risk area,” potentially discouraging travel there.

Portugal has also been clobbered by changing rules.

Last month, Portuguese companies...