After a difficult year it seems we are beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel in Marbella, and more positive perspectives in the months and years to come. Not only is vaccination gathering pace in Spain, but infection rates are dropping and regions such as Andalucía are taking measures to welcome visitors back to its shores this summer—including an initiative to offer tourists free travel insurance.
The local authorities have worked hard to ensure a high level of safety conditions during the Covid-19 situation, but to further promote Andalusian tourism among international visitors it is offering free tourist insurance to all non-resident foreign citizens arriving in the region during 2021, regardless of age or nationality.
This measure taken by the Andalusian Ministry of Tourism, itself a division of the regional government, known as the Junta de Andalucía, is designed to offer international visitors complete peace of mind as well as practical support should they contract Covid-19 during the stay, including if it has to be extended beyond the originally planned holiday period.
Coverage
The free travel insurance provides automatic coverage for visitors to Andalucía in 2021, and doesn’t have to be taken out beforehand as it comes into effect automatically upon booking travel to this region. All measures are taken to ensure that the Costa del Sol is a safe destination, as is shown in its low infection rates, but the insurance provides the following free coverage should individuals nonetheless contract Covid-19 during their stay:
- Medical, surgical and hospital expenses
- Transportation expenses (to hospitals and/or clinics)
- Accommodation during extended stay if quarantine is required
- Repatriation by special medical flights to European and Mediterranean coastal countries for the patient and their companions
- Repatriation and document processing in the event of death by Covid-19
To qualify for this free tourist coverage, one has to be a non-resident foreign citizen visiting Andalucía during 2021.
The fact that the Junta de Andalucía is making this remarkable gesture not only reflects its desire to bring visitors back to this region, but also its confidence that this is a safe and healthy destination with excellent conditions for summer 2021.
Confidence in Málaga as a world class IT centre
There is more positive news for the area, as Amazon will be moving into a new logistics centre of more than 50,000m2 in the Intelhorce area of Málaga – a new state-of-the-art facility that represents an investment of €80 million. Google has also chosen the city for its new centre of excellence in cyber security, an antivirus development complex that will add further to job creation, training and the economic diversification of the region.
