Spain will pay for your insurance if you catch coronavirus on a Canary Islands holiday

The local government on the Canary Islands will pay your insurance if you catch coronavirus while on holiday there. 

The policy was launched by the Canaries’ Department of Tourism, Industry and Commerce in partnership with insurance firm AXA in August.

It was launched in a bid to tempt holidaymakers back to the sunny islands, and will cover Spanish and international travellers on any of the eight Canary Islands.

The insurance policy will cover medical bills and any new return flights as a result of health issues and extended stays due to quarantine measures.

Regional Tourism Minister Yaiza Castilla said: “The Canary Islands have furthered their commitment to strengthen and increase the safety and peace of mind of tourists. This is just one more attraction of the destination.”

The UK government is currently advising against all non-essential travel to Spain, including the Balearic and Canary Islands, with quarantine measures in place upon your return. 

However, the policy is set to be in place for the next 12 months so could come in handy for future travel once the restrictions are lifted. 

It will provide up to €150,000 in health expenses and quarantine costs for €100 per day for 14 days. 

The scheme only covers cases of Covid-19 that were not known about before travel. 

The Canary and Balearic Islands currently have a lower infection rate than mainland Spain, and many travel industry leaders have called for the government to take a more ‘nuanced’ approach to quarantine rather than country-wide.

In an open letter to Boris Johnson, businesses including TUI, easyJet, British Airways and Heathrow Airport wrote: “It is clear that the Canary and Balearic islands are not facing the same epidemiological situation as parts of mainland Spain, with rates of Covid that are lower than the UK. 

“This means we are in the extraordinary situation where the government is encouraging domestic tourism but advising against travel to areas of Spain that have lower rates of Covid than the UK.”

The scheme put in place by the Canary Islands is similar to one launched by Emirates. 

The new tactic from the airline sees travellers being issued with insurance which will cover medical treatments, hotel quarantine costs and even funerals if a traveller dies from the virus while travelling with Emirates.