The move caps the price of a PCR test at a maximum of €75 while an antigen or lateral flow test will have its price limited to €30.
Tourism minister Iago Negueruela said the islands’ government had “identified the costs of the PCR tests as a major barrier to travel for many people” and the move to cap test prices would make the Balearics “more affordable”.
“We feel encouraged to see that international travel will be allowed to restart in the UK, after travel being off the cards for months,” added Negueruela.
“We hope we can welcome Brits as soon as possible. We are proud to say that we managed to control the pandemic in the islands, and now we have one of the lowest Covid-19 rates in Europe.
“As we continue to ease restrictions and roll out the vaccine, we are looking to restart international tourism in the Balearic Islands, based on the highest standards of safety.”
Spain is currently classified as an amber destination under the UK government’s new traffic lights system with destinations’ status due to be reviewed at the end of May.
The Balearics government has also approved an €11 million Tourism Reactivation Plan which will be used to “facilitate the safe reopening” of the islands to international arrivals, as well as encouraging holidaymakers to visit and extend the summer season.
“As part of the plan, we are launching the Safety Pack, an updated safety protocol to protect the tourism workers and showcase the safety in the destination, with various guides aiming at reducing the spread of Covid-19 in the archipelago,” said Negueruela.
Other initiatives include a SafeBeach app allowing tourists to check crowd levels at beaches, while the islands will also offer a Covid-19 insurance policy to guests staying at any regulated hotel or accommodation provider.
