Plans for travel corridors between the UK and Spain are well-advanced, a top official has suggested.
Spanish tourism minister Reyes Maroto said safe links between the two countries were being developed in time for an early rollout of travel with the country's main tourism markets, such as the UK and Germany.
Local media reported the minister Maroto had claimed travel corridors between Spanish resorts and the UK had already been well-advanced before the third wave of coronavirus swept across Europe at the end of last year.
She stressed it was important the corridors were ready to use as soon as travel restrictions were lifted.
The government official said Spain had long supported the issue of vaccine certificates to allow safe travels between European nations.
"We are working with the EU so that there are common protocols," she told reporters.
"Destinations are making preparations, and we hope that mobility conditions will be met. We now have something that we didn't have last summer, and that is vaccines," she added.
Tui chief executive Fritz Joussen said he was confident travel curbs would be eased during the summer.
He said: “Travelling in Europe will be possible in summer 2021 – safely and responsibly. We are preparing intensively for this. Tui is already in close coordination with Greece, Spain and Cyprus.
"Talks are to be extended to other holiday destinations in the western and eastern Mediterranean in the coming weeks."
He added the introduction of a vaccine passport and better testing could help travel resume.
The Tui chief said: “With a uniform EU certificate, politicians can now create an important basis for summer travel.
"As long as not everyone can be vaccinated, rapid tests are the second important building block for safe holidays. They are reliable and are now available in sufficient numbers.”
