French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian has said people who want to travel to Spain and Portugal should get vaccinated first, Reuters reports.

“There is no tourism protectionism from France, there is a will to ensure health standards — tourism is fundamental for both our countries,” Le Drian told a news conference in Madrid.

“We all want to go on holidays but health protection is fundamental and that's why we must get vaccinated.” Le Drian's junior minister Clement Beaune had told the French on Thursday to avoid travelling to the two Iberian countries where the number of Covid-19 cases is rising fast.