American Tourists in Spain

American travelers have always been fascinated with Europe. The object of that fascination has oscillated, as any trends tend to do, between places on the European continent depending on what was in fashion. At various points over the years, the place to be has been London, Paris, Rome, or Amsterdam.

Increasingly, in recent years it has seemed that the new place to be is not one particular city, but is, in fact, the entire country of Spain. In 2019, before the world was worried about pandemics, face masks, and quarantines, over 3.3 million Americans visited Spain.

While cities like Barcelona and Madrid lead the way as far as attracting American holidaymakers and backpackers, as well as study abroad students and job-seekers, there are plenty of other reasons why Americans are so keen on experiencing the Spanish lifestyle.

With everything going on in the world with respect to the coronavirus, eager adventurers will want to know can US citizens travel to Spain?

The Effects of the Coronavirus in Spain

Back in March, when governments around the world were grappling with the severity of the COVID-19 pandemic and how to best protect their citizens, Spanish health officials began to realize that their population was in trouble.

It was not long before numbers started to rise across the continent and it became clear that Spain was becoming a concentrated region as far as transmission of the disease. As a result, the government decided to implement a state of alarm, which included the closing of international borders and a lockdown that wound up being one of the strictest on the planet in terms of limiting individual movement.

By June, the numbers in Spain had dropped down to a level that health officials deemed safe enough to begin the process of reopening the country, first to its citizens, and later in the summer, to a limited number of tourists from specific countries.

However, even as some visitors were able to come for the much-desired summer months, US passport holders were still banned from crossing the border into any of the member-states of the European Union.

When Will US Citizens Be Allowed in Spain Again?

For any Americans who are accustomed to traveling, the coronavirus restrictions have felt particularly constricting. Without new cities and destinations to explore, people have had to get creative in seeking out ways to feel like they are traveling from the familiar comfort of their homes.

The coronavirus has proved to be devastating, not only in the destruction it does to communities, but also in its unpredictability. In some ways, it would have been easier for Americans to know how long travel restrictions would last, even if it were for a long time because then they could have a better sense of when they might resume their favorite pastime.

Unfortunately, there is no telling at the moment precisely when Spain might once again be able to accept American travelers. Part of the unpredictability lies in the fact that both countries and their citizens need to be taken into consideration.

It isn't simply a matter of having Spain "re-open for business". Spain, and indeed the Schengen Area as a whole, will only allow for travelers to cross their borders from countries that they deem to have contained the virus to a reasonable degree.

There are many reasons to love traveling, which is part of what has made the travel bans that have been put into place around the world so difficult for so many people.

However, American passport holders can take solace in the fact that when the European Union removes the United States from the list of countries whose citizens are not able to enter the Schengen Area, Spain will be eagerly awaiting their return.

Planning a Future Trip to Spain

While the world works to heal and prepare itself for a time when international travel can resume its prior levels, it is a good time for Americans to plan their dream trip to Spain.

Perhaps the landscape of international travel will change in the future and the capital cities will no longer be the focus for vacationers. If that is the case, then getting to know some of Spain's amazing towns and villages could be the ideal holiday.

A popular option in Spain will always be to visit the extensive coastlines. Spain not only is famous for its incredible location in the Mediterranean but it also boasts exciting, and perhaps lesser-known destinations on its more rugged Atlantic coast.

For many people, the idyllic vacation will always be an island getaway. Perhaps no country in Europe can offer a better array of remote escapes than Spain. From the Canary Islands to the Balearics, the mountains and beaches will be awaiting travelers when the time comes for them to safely return.