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| - Spain's Balearic Islands will welcome German tourists from June 15 as a test before Madrid reopens international borders on July 1, regional officials said Tuesday. "During the second half of June, we are proposing the limited reopening of air links so that tourists from Germany can come to the Baleares," the regional government said in a statement. Almost 11,000 Germans will be allowed to visit the sun-soaked archipelago even before Spaniards themselves regain full freedom of movement to travel throughout the peninsula and to the Balearic and Canary Islands. International tourists are then to be allowed back from July 1. "We will be the first destination in Spain that opens up to the international market," regional tourism chief Iago Negueruela told reporters. The project will be run under "strict health guidelines" with a maximum of 10,900 visitors arriving over 14 days, the region said. Travellers will have their temperature taken on arrival and should any symptoms arise, there will be a phone follow-up as part of an agreement between the regional government and three German tour operators. "Germany has.. a very similar epidemiological situation to ours," said Negueruela of the islands, which escaped relatively unscathed from the epidemic that claimed more than 27,000 lives in Spain. Spain's health ministry on Tuesday said the government was open to similar proposals if other regions wanted to establish a pilot programme. Banned from visiting holiday homes in the Balearic Islands amid a coronavirus lockdown, hundreds of Germans have lobbied Spanish authorities to have the restrictions eased. The island of Mallorca has long been a major destination for Germans, so much so that it is sometimes dubbed Germany's "17th state". Around 4.5 million Germans visited Mallorca last year to enjoy its beaches and bustling nightlife. The archipelago, which has a population of around 1.1 million, is comprised of four main islands -- Mallorca, Menorca, Ibiza and Formentera. It is Spain's second-most visited region. Spain is the world's second most popular travel destination after France, and tourism accounts for around 12 percent of national output. tpe-hmw/pmr/wai
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