The overall situation generated by the COVID-19 brought tourism to a sudden halt for and millions of people are unable to travel to enjoy their holidays. Little by little, mobility restrictions are being lifted and many passengers are looking for safe destinations to go to and enjoy their holidays.
The Canary Islands are a safe tourist destination where you can travel without fear of the coronavirus. Firstly, the pandemic has not had a great impact on the Canary Islands, and secondly, the Canary Islands government, local councils and tourism companies are taking extreme care with security and anti-COVID-19 protocols to ensure that the time tourists spend on the islands is totally safe. Among the various measures taken in the Canary Islands to ensure a coronavirus-free stay are projects such as monitoring passengers with apps (a project promoted by the UNWTO), a project for PCR tests at the destination, and hygiene protocols in tourist establishments approved by the WHO.
All this is confirmed by the confidence of European countries that mark the Canary Islands as a safe destination to travel to and enjoy its climate, attractions and cuisine.
Measures to fly without fear
Getting on a plane and flying is one of the biggest fears of tourists when having to stay for a long period of time inside an enclosed area with many people. That’s why airlines are taking steps to reduce the risk of contagion on planes by incorporating appropriate protocols and sanitary measures (such as filtering and airflow inside the plane to ensure it is always clean).
The Government of the Canary Islands together with the UNWTO have developed a kind of health passport with the idea that each passenger carries a QR code on their mobile phone with all their health data, including the PCR if it has been done.
At Canarian airports, different measures are taken to act as security filters:
- Taking temperatures using thermographic cameras. With these devices you can monitor people inside the airport, knowing their body temperature, being able to detect those with fever.
- Documentary control on arrival at the airport (based on the responsible declaration of each tourist).
- Visual control by staff, who can activate a protocol if necessary to transfer a traveller with suspicious symptoms to a health centre. The staff have received the necessary training to distinguish the main symptoms associated with the possibility of having COVID-19.
- Anti-covid measures such as safety distance signs, hydro-alcoholic gel dispensers, protective screens, air renewal systems and increased hygiene and disinfection measures in common areas and bathrooms (with a greater number of people dedicated to this work).
What you need to know when travelling in the Canary Islands
It is necessary to know a series of rules to be able to transit through the Canarian airports in a safe way:
- The use of a mask is mandatory throughout the airport, as well as at boarding time and inside the aircraft.
- Respect a separation distance of 1.5 meters with other people (stickers along airports remind and make it easier to maintain this safety distance).
- Use of hydro-alcoholic gel for hand hygiene (gel dispensers are available in different parts of the airport).
- Follow the safety instructions on the signs and on the airport staff.
- Smoking is prohibited.
- The communication between the different airports on the islands is active, which makes it possible to move from one island to another quickly, safely and easily.
Tenerife will be an intelligent tourist destination in October
The island of Tenerife starts from a previous situation in relation to the pandemic which is very positive. With a very low number of cases and controlled infections, the appropriate measures are in place to meet the criteria required to be an intelligent tourist destination (governance, innovation, technology, accessibility and sustainability).
Tourist stocks in autumn and winter are still holding out on the island. Becoming an intelligent tourist destination and having the resurgence under control will bring winter tourism back to Tenerife.
Freebird Catamaran, a tourist attraction safe from the coronavirus
Many of the tourist activities and attractions of the Canary Islands are already beginning to be active, as is the case with the Freebird Catamaran. It is a unique experience on board these spectacular catamarans to travel along the coast of southern Tenerife, and go in search of dolphins and whales that are usually in the area. This attraction is ideal for a holiday in the Canary Islands with children, which will leave unforgettable memories.
Excursion to see whales and dolphins in Tenerife
Among the excursions with a safe destination, going to see dolphins and whales in Tenerife is an ideal option, since the measures taken to reduce the risks together with the fact that it is an outdoor activity, make it a safe excursion.
The main measures taken against COVID-19 are reducing the capacity of the catamarans to 60% of their maximum legal capacity, and the use of digital tickets for access. The Freebird catamarans are the largest so this reduction in capacity will make it possible to maintain distance between passengers.
Other measures that will allow you to go whale and dolphin watching safely are the use of masks, the disinfection of common areas every 30 minutes, temperature taking before boarding, the use of mandatory masks for staff and passengers, and individually packed food.
The Canary Islands are a territory where the pandemic has not had a great incidence and has been able to be controlled. Some islands such as El Hierro or La Graciosa have only had one or two cases, and on the most populated islands the incidence has been minimal. With the health and safety measures that have been taken in the Canary Islands, European countries consider it to be a safe tourist destination, making it one of the areas of Spain and Europe with the greatest safety against COVID-19.
