Spain: the closure of all campsites could cause the exodus of more than 18,000 people, how to manage it?

More than 18,000 retirees spend the winter at Spanish campsites choosing to stay in their own bungalows, mobile homes or caravans and campers. Germans, Dutch, English, French etc. they go to “winter” on the coasts of Andalusia and the Region of Murcia guaranteeing these structures from 90 to 100% coverage even during the winter months. Customers who constitute an important source of income, but who today, facing the coronavirus emergency, could represent a significant problem. In fact, these campsites, in all probability, will find themselves forced to close overnight, inviting “residents” to return to their homeland.

The Spanish Hosteltur magazine, specialized in professional information for tourism operators, reports the statements of Ana Beriain, president of the Spanish Camping Federation, who warns about the pitfalls of repatriation, because none of them live less than 1000 kilometers and therefore the trip would require several days across Europe, with necessary stops and supplies. How can we guarantee a peaceful return home for everyone, with the various European states that are adopting increasingly stringent measures and closing borders and commercial activities?

According to the Hosteltur magazine, the solutions proposed and still under consideration are two different, the first is the one proposed by Beriain which contemplates a “return home” operation step by step, allowing the non-simultaneous closure of all the structures with the consequent “eviction” in different moments of the campers. The association of employers of Alicante HOSBEC, however, believes that camping customers can safely live their quarantine inside the structures as if they were at home and the campsites could establish a dedicated service for these guests to whom they would come only the use of sanitation and food is limited and guaranteed for the duration of movement restrictions. What will be the solution that will be adopted? We await updates with curiosity.