The sun is in Spain the center of one of its main sources of income. Every summer, on its 8,000-kilometer coastline –the Mediterranean, the Bay of Biscay and the Atlantic Ocean– visitor flows number in the millions. Tourism in this country contributes more than 12% of the Gross Domestic Product. Tourist agencies, hotels and other accommodation owners, bars, restaurants and beach bars depend on it.
Since the beginning of May, Spain has been implementing what the government calls the “de-escalation” plan: the exit from confinement and the reactivation of activities in phases, from 0 to 4. Not all the autonomous communities, and even not all the provinces of a given region, are currently in the same phase. The Executive –the Health Ministry—evaluates the health situation of the regions and decides which one will move phases.
While they advance in the “de-escalation” and wait for the central government to announce this month its plan to open the beaches this summer, the regions that live off beach tourism are preparing their own plans.
The picture of summers in Spain is usually one of full beaches and a constant flow of people visiting them throughout the day, due to the long hours of sunshine, which pass 9 pm. This coming summer, however, foresees beaches divided into grids to separate groups of visitors by age, as well as time slots, restrictions on activities and a limited capacity.
The sectors that depend on summer beach tourism are already taking on the losses of millions of euros they will face this year, but they are trying to adapt to the circumstances. With the limitations still active in global air traffic, services will be more concentrated in local tourism.
In Lloret de Mar, for example, an area of high tourism impact in Catalonia, the authorities already have a plan outlined. Lloret de Mar is on the Costa Brava, in the north of this autonomous community. As reported by Onda Cero, the two main beaches of this tourist town will be divided into sectors, by age group: one for the elderly, in couples or individually, with special access for them and assisted bathing service; a sector for families, where a safe distance in the sand and in the water must be respected; a sector for adults, which children will not be allowed to enter, groups of friends can meet, and showers will only be opened if it is guaranteed that there is no risk of contagion of the coronavirus.
Catalonia is in the northeast of Spain, the third autonomous community in Spain with the most beaches, 417, according to 20minutos.es.
The Costa Dorada is in the south of Catalonia. According to La Vanguardia, the city of Salou is considering establishing timetables similar to those now in place throughout Spain for going out: one time slot for children and their caregivers; one for the elderly; and another for single adults. In Sitges, on the other hand, where there is usually a very high influx of visitors, some bars and restaurant owners propose putting up sticks on the beaches and squares to mark safety distances.
The coasts of Andalusia, to the south of Spain, touch the Atlantic and the Mediterranean. Its coastlines are among the most visited in the country. It is the fourth region in Spain with the most beaches, according to 20minutos.es, with 402. This summer distances of up to 2.5 meters between groups will be maintained on the beaches, there will be police control at the entrances and exits, they may only be filled to 50% and games-tennis, volleyball and other collective activities will be prohibited. This is what the president of this autonomous community Juanma Moreno said, ABC.es reported. Beach facilities will be disinfected daily.
The autonomous community of Galicia has the highest number of beaches in the country, 861, according to 20 minutos.es, although the influx of visitors from other parts of the country is lower. The town of Santxenxo, which is in the province of Pontevedra, is among the most touristic in Galicia, Onda Cero reports. The city mayor’s office has already calculated the numbers of squares they will divide the 600-meter Silgar beach into: there will be 780, in sectors organized by colors.. The capacity of this beach will be limited to 75%. The squares will measure nine square meters, and they will be delimited with wooden stakes and ropes. On the beach there will be a strip near the shore for a passing and playing area for children, and another behind the squares for the services.
In the autonomous community of Valencia, in southeast Spain, there is a good piece of the Mediterranean coast of the country. It has 331 beaches. Eva Saiz reported for El País that the regional government created a technical committee that will design an action protocol. The measures will be adapted to each type of beach, the report says.
In the Canary Islands, to the southwest, according to Saiz’s piece, they are considering allowing bathing on their beaches from the second week of “de-escalation”, as long as this happens in beaches within an hour from home and physical distance is maintained. Several of the islands of this region are already in phase 1.
Formentera, in the Balearics – the archipelago to the east – is the only island that is also in phase 1. For the time being authorities only allows swimming on the beaches for sporting purposes. The Balearics have not yet designed a plan for the use of their coasts in summer.
Neither has the Basque Country to the north and Murcia to the southeast. According to Eva Saiz’s report, they are waiting for indications from the Ministry of Health.