NEWS SPECIAL REPORT


L


ooking out at the pool from my room, it’s hard to notice any difference to holidaying in the pre-Covid world.


Families are relaxing on sunbeds,


lost in novels and playing with their children in the water in a typical scene from an all-inclusive resort. Changes are as subtle as they


can be, especially at the pool where loungers are disinfected by lifeguards after each guest leaves – and are farther apart than before. This is barely noticeable the day after Tui’s first guests since March arrived at the hotel, which is limited to 70% capacity and expecting to be about 55% full the week commencing July 13. It feels like the shoulder season.


Fines While you don’t have to wear masks at the pool, in your room, at restaurants, by the beach or while doing exercise, from July 13 everyone in the Balearics must have a face covering while they’re out and about. Fines range from €100- €6,000, and the locals are taking it seriously. Our guide for a walking tour


of Ibiza Town, Pep, was palpably happy to welcome his first guests since February. He said “we don’t like the masks, but we will do it” as he pointed out 90% of the island’s economy comes from tourism.


travelweekly.co.uk


He has replaced his mask with a


visor with a plastic screen, which still stops germs spreading, but doesn’t muffle his voice. The town was quiet, but not


empty. Restaurants and cafes were open and had moved to contactless payments and QR code menus. It was simple, but people with technophobic tendencies might need time to adapt. We drove through Playa d’en


Bossa – which would normally be buzzing with young people – but the shutters were up. Most of the locals accept this summer’s clubbing season is a write-off. Perhaps Ricardo Muñoz, commercial and marketing director at Tui Blue Aura sums it up best when he says “this is not a summer to get rich, it’s a summer to bring confidence back”.


Reduced capacity Back at his hotel, we’re allowed in the water park, but capacity is reduced from 205 to 150, broadly in line with the reduced hotel capacity. The kids’ club caters for 10 rather than 30 children, with 90-minute rather than two-hour sessions to allow for cleaning between. The Baby Club is closed until August. At the snack bar, you are served food rather than helping yourself but


breakfast is still mainly self-service. Once the obligatory temperature


check is complete, you help yourself as normal, but with plastic screens in front of the food. It was a tricky to slide my ham


under the screen, but customers seemed reassured that food is almost certainly germ-free. Most wore masks while filling plates, although it didn’t feel like there was much pressure to adhere to social distancing. The à la carte Taverna restaurant


felt like it would have before, only waiters wore gloves and masks and the menu was via a QR code.


Social distancing You can’t move sun loungers or chairs around. Staff will bring more seating, but the point is to avoid different groups sitting too close together. During the evening entertainment kids had to stand four metres back from the stage (performers were not wearing masks). Tui stressed all measures are


under “constant review” and may be adapted based on guest feedback. The first families back seemed at ease with the changes. The operator’s Holiday Promise


Screens have been installed at the buffet


16 JULY 2020 9


pledges that customers will only go if the experience is comparable with what they booked. And it pretty much is. So while the masks may be a


little stifling when you’re walking about in the sun, the measures over in the Balearics are in line with what you’d expect at home. So, if you’re comfortable going to your local for a drink, you’ll probably be comfortable on your package holiday.


as one big difference


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