Lanzarote will use long-stay hotels to relocate tourists trapped on the island. This has been confirmed by the Minister of Tourism, Ángel Vázquez, after the meeting that the Cabildo held this Friday with the Insular Association of Hotel and Apartment Businessmen of Lanzarote (Asolan).
And it is that, although the Government issued an order this Thursday by which the closure of tourist accommodation establishments is imposed within a maximum period of seven calendar days, the opening to the public of long-stay hotels is allowed, which, at the time of the declaration of alarm, housed clients staying "in a stable and seasonal manner, provided that their occupants have the infrastructures, in their own living spaces, to carry out the activities of first necessity".
"Long-stay hotels can open and, logically, we will provide coverage to these tourists," said the Minister of Tourism, who pointed out that there would still be more than 20,000 tourists on the island this Friday, some 18,000 international and between 3,000 and 3,500 national.
"The majority will be leaving in stages, but with the Peninsula now we only have two daily flights, one to Madrid and one to Barcelona," said Ángel Vázquez, recalling the restrictions imposed on connections with the peninsular territory.
Regarding international flights, the Cabildo is unaware of the number of operations that are being carried out, so it is not known how many tourists will be able to leave. However, as Vázquez already stated on Radio Lanzarote-Onda Cero, it is estimated that, once the return operation is over, there will still be some 3,000 tourists who will not be able to leave Lanzarote until the confinement ends.
Regarding the hotels that will be used to relocate tourists, the Minister of Tourism has indicated that the hotel association will send them a list on Monday.
