Faced with the spread of the Delta variant in Europe, the Secretary of State for European Affairs, Clément Beaune, calls for travel to Spain and Portugal to be avoided.

Actors in the tourism sector denounce a lack of clarity.

Two key summer destinations in the hot seat? Spain and Portugal face a worrying upsurge in Covid-19 cases linked to the spread of the Delta variant. So much so that Portugal has put in place a curfew, while in Spain, the province of Catalonia is tightening restrictions, particularly with regard to young people and leisure activities. As a result, Clément Beaune, Secretary of State for European Affairs, on Thursday called on the French to avoid visiting these two countries. A hard blow for the tourist economy.

As tourists began to return, the Spanish economy believed it could lift its head.

But Clément Beaune's statements dampened some of these hopes.

The information has been looping over Spanish radio stations since Thursday morning.

Mimo Agüero runs a flamenco bar in Barcelona.

Its customers are only tourists.

She hoped to finally reopen her business in July;

this will probably not be the case.

"It is obvious that it is a very strong blow for the economy of all Spain. Our restaurant will surely suffer from the consequences of this decision", she regrets with Europe 1.

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A risk of quarantine for the return to France?

On the other hand, on Barcelona beach, the government's recommendations do not seem to disturb French holidaymakers already there.

Deborah has come with her family for a week and does not intend to change her plans.

"It does not change much, we do not feel particularly stressed by the Covid-19. We have been vaccinated. We wear the mask. We also avoid getting too close to people," she explains.

Here, we now fear the imposition of a quarantine in France on return from Spain, like that, for example, that Germany already applies to those returning from Portugal.

It would then be the final blow for the summer.

Let us recall that France is the first supplier of tourists to Catalonia, the second in all of Spain.

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An ambiguous announcement 

In France, tourism professionals also blame it. It must be said that Spain remains the number one destination for French people outside France. Jean-Pierre Mas, the president of Travel Companies, denounces a certain ambiguity. "This declaration can have negative effects on our activity, there is no doubt. It will encourage vacationers to change their minds and postpone their holidays, to change destination," he regrets.

"There is a defense committee which decides on green, orange and red countries for French travel. Spain and Portugal are green. So if the Secretary of State for European Affairs has the authority to change the color of 'a country, it must be said and changed, "he annoys. "But we can't be in a kind of ambiguity that says on the one hand, you can go to Spain and Portugal if you are vaccinated or if you have a negative PCR test. And on the other hand, I will tell you. do not recommend going. You have to be consistent. "