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Spain lifts ban on cruise ship arrivals from June 7th

AFP
AFP - [email protected]
Spain lifts ban on cruise ship arrivals from June 7th
Royal Caribbean's cruise liner 'Anthem Of The Seas' arriving at the port of Bilbao during its maiden voyage in 2015. (Photo by ANDER GILLENEA / AFP)

International cruise ships will be able to dock in Spanish ports from June 7th, the Spanish government said on Saturday, lifting a ban imposed when the Covid-19 pandemic began.

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The measure would be lifted due to the easing of the virus in Europe where most cruise passengers come from, as well as rising vaccination numbers, a transport ministry statement said.

It was also due to the falling numbers of virus cases in regions where most cruise ships dock.

The ban was first imposed in mid-March 2020 and later took the form of a resolution which was published on June 23rd by Spain's Directorate General of Shipping (DGMM).

Before the pandemic, Spain was Europe's second-most popular destination for cruise ship stopovers, the ministry said, indicating it played an important economic role for the Spanish economy.

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In 2019, international cruises contributed around €2.8 billion ($3.4 billion) to Spain's GDP, accounting for some 50,000 jobs and 1.5 billion euros ($1.8 billion) in wages, the ministry said, citing figures from the Cruise Lines International Association.

With nearly 80,000 deaths and more than 3.6 million infections, Spain has been badly hit by the pandemic but the number of cases has slowed significantly as its vaccination programme has gathered pace.

 

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