German tour operators cancel Spanish packages

Leading German tour operators TUI Group and DER Touristik suspended all departures to mainland Spain and the Balearic Islands following a German government travel warning advising against travel to the country. DER Touristik said that all departures through August 21 will be cancelled at no cost to customers due to a force majeure clause. For its part, TUI cancelled all trips through at least August 24. Both operators continue to fly their passengers to the Canary Islands, which are not included in the travel warning. Other tour operators, including Alltours and FTI, have not suspended their Spanish packages and continue to sell new offers to the country for the upcoming weeks, although they also offer free cancellations to customers. They both referred to a quote by Health Minister Jens Spahn, who underlined in an interview with ARD TV channel that a “travel warning is not a travel ban”. The warning, issued by the German federal government, advises against all nonessential travel to mainland Spain and the Balearic Islands, including Palma de Mallorca, the most popular holiday destination for Germans.