Spain will allow cruise ships to dock in its ports from June 7, said the transport ministry as it hopes to salvage the country's battered tourism sector in time for the summer season.

Spain's maritime authorities approved the reopening because of falling Covid-19 incidence rates and an increase in vaccinations, according to an order in Spain's state gazette.

"Shipping companies will have to comply with measures established by the health ministry ... to guarantee total security, both for cruise passengers and for the cities where they land," the transport ministry tweeted.

The world's largest cruise ship of Royal Caribbean Cruises, the 362-metre-long Symphony of the Seas during its world presentation ceremony, berthed at a port in Malaga, Spain. — Reuters/File
The world's largest cruise ship of Royal Caribbean Cruises, the 362-metre-long Symphony of the Seas during its world presentation ceremony, berthed at a port in Malaga, Spain. — Reuters/File

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