At a time when tourism is trying to resist the war in Iran without too many affections, the declaration of a hantavirus outbreak on the cruise ship MV Hondius (which will dock in the Canary Islands in the coming days) could be another obstacle for the industry as the summer season approaches. Or not? Demócrata speaks with travel agency managers to get their opinion on the matter.
And the reality is that, although with some uncertainty about how events will unfold, the experts consulted are very calm about the possible impact of hantavirus on flights or cruises.
José Manuel Lastra, first vice president of the Spanish Confederation of Travel Agencies (CEAV), assures that, in principle, it is not something that worries them excessively, "because it is something isolated, controlled and that presumably will not have any impact".
David Hernández, founder and CEO of Pangea, shares the same opinion, recalling that hantavirus is not something new, but rather exists in different regions and has always been controlled: "I don't think it's going to affect," he emphasizes.
Noise
Beyond ruling out direct consequences in the sector, Hernández is annoyed by the amount of noise the issue generates. Two things can happen, he details: “That in 15 days we have forgotten about it and no one remembers, or that in 15 days there is an epidemic and everything happens. But surely nothing will happen and it makes me angry that it has been managed so badly and social alarm is created”.
The head of Pangea demands that the Government "give the correct explanations, because that generates certainty", but also looks to society for the "absurdity" of "generating unnecessary alarm". "I don't know if it's out of interest or because it sells more, but we are going crazy over things that are not relevant," he laments.
In the same way, Lastra mentions that "it is normal for the topic to be front-page news in the media", but highlights "that it is something tremendously extraordinary and that it will not have an effect on travel consumption, not even on cruises".
The Minister of Tourism also rules out affections
The Minister of Industry and Tourism, Jordi Hereu, has ruled out that the arrival in the Canary Islands of the cruise ship affected by the hantavirus outbreak will harm tourism in the archipelago. "Not at all," he responded this Thursday when asked by journalists after the closing of the 2026 edition of Advanced Factories, held in Fira de Barcelona.
Hereu has also assured that the situation is being managed "in accordance with international bodies". Asked about the role of the President of the Canary Islands, Fernando Clavijo, the minister defended acting "from collaboration" and "cooperation", in addition to complying with international regulations and legality.
“I believe that now is not the time for debate, but for working together to make it a successful process, which I am sure it will be,” he stated. The minister also added that Spain has the capacity to manage the situation correctly.