Sanchez Signals Spanish Summer

On the 70th day of the Spanish lockdown, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez surprised his own country and the world when he dropped these immortal words “foreign tourists can now plan their vacations in our country”.

Over the last 10 weeks Señor Sanchez has favoured the Saturday afternoon/evening press conference often announcing the unexpected that highlighted the perpetually changing situation but the way he spoke yesterday marks a new era of this crisis, actively encouraging holidays and pledging that the safety of tourists to the country is the priority.

His speech was greeted with a surge of jubilation and optimism that the summer will become a reality, we all know it will be a long road back to relative normality but we have to take what we are given.

The Ibiza that will open up for tourists in June will be a different animal. Reduced capacities will be countered with increased outdoor space, enclosed nightclubs will continue to search to find a formula that works and beach clubs will have to operate with strict limitations. Only when a vaccine is found will we be able to return to the way it was before but this is still a huge stride forward.

Ibiza 2020 will be calmer, more thoughtful, more aware of those around us but also full of sun, fun and good times. Ibiza’s incredible nature will shine through with many doing things that they never thought they would with an appreciation of the simple things. The old saying that the best things in life are free has never applied to a certain Ibiza demographic however that is set to change this summer.

Of course we have to keep in mind how quickly things can change, not let our guard down and stick to the basic hygiene rules. It’s inevitable that there will be more virus cases but the most important thing is that it stays under control.

The health crisis has eased and focus now moves to the economy, minimising the risks of both of these is now the dual priority for a country and its residents that overly relies on the tourist dollar not only to get by but to survive.

After 10 long weeks, 70 days, where Spain has endured some of the strictest lockdown conditions in the world, yesterday was a good news day. Nice one Pedro.