Coronavirus: British holidaymakers urged to return from Spain within days

Spain has entered a state of emergency to cope with one of the worst coronavirus outbreaks in Europe

British holidaymakers are being urged to return from Spain as soon as possible after the government announcement that all hotels would close to cope with the coronavirus pandemic

The Foreign Office told all tourists to make urgent travel arrangements following the Spanish government's decision to shut all hotels from Tuesday.

In a statement, a Foreign Office spokesperson said: “The Spanish government have confirmed that all hotels will close in Spain from Tuesday 24 March.

“We therefore advise British travellers in Spain to contact their tour operator or airline as soon as possible, to arrange their return journey home before this date.”

Spain entered a state of emergency on Saturday to cope with one of the worst coronavirus outbreaks in Europe.

Holidaymakers face challenges returning home, with airlines grounding flights. Ryanair has announced it is likely to cancel "most if not all" services after 24 March.

It comes after Dominic Raab, the foreign secretary, announced an effective travel ban, advising British nationals against all but essential foreign trips.

He told MPs: “UK travellers abroad now face widespread international border restrictions and lockdowns in various countries,” he said in a statement.

“The FCO will always consider the safety and the security of British nationals.

“So, with immediate effect, I’ve taken the decision to advise British nationals against non-essential travel globally for an initial period of 30 days and of course subject to ongoing review.”

The foreign secretary was urged by MPs to step in to bring home stranded Britons, but he insisted it “would be unrealistic” to repatriate everyone, so efforts would focus on the “most vulnerable”.

Britain will have to decide whether to join the EU's coronavirus travel ban, with the bloc set to turn away all those making non-essential journeys.

The European Commission has proposed denying entry to the vast majority of people trying to enter European Union for the next 30-days, with the expectation the EU leaders will agree the measure in the coming days.

While the UK is no longer an EU member state, president Ursula von der Leyen has invited the UK to join the restrictions and said British travellers would be treated the same way as other EU nationals.