Jason MoorePalma30/01/2019 14:52
TW

The alarms bells are ringing at the Ministry for Tourism in Madrid ...they have just discovered that Brexit could have a negative impact on holiday bookings. Well better late than never. In fact, they are planning to launch a Spanish tourism promotion drive to counterbalance the impact of Brexit and competition from other cheaper holiday resorts in the eastern Mediterranean. To say that Madrid was "asleep on the job" is an understatement.

British tourism to Spain in general is vital. While in the Balearics British tourism is a distant second to Germany, across the country British tourism reigns supreme so really Madrid should have been watching more closely. Any fall in British tourism will have a deep impact on the state of the Spanish economy. Now, I know that the whole Brexit process has been a nightmare and the government of Theresa May could be accused of being fast asleep at the wheel but Spain needs to wake up fast and smell the coffee.

I sincerely doubt that Spain is going to make it difficult for British tourists to come here post Brexit but at the same time they must realise that Turkey has become a major threat. A promotion campaign is a step in the right direction but it could be a case of too little too late. So what needs to be done; well Spain needs to regain its value for money mantle. The Balearics and other regions of the country are no longer cheap and the spending power of British tourists has been dented by the fall in value of sterling.