Jason MoorePalma21/06/2019 04:01
TW

Sometimes news stories get lost in translation or they are exaggerated or both. A classic example is the terror alert being raised in Spain and hundreds of police being sent to holiday resorts. The terror alert hasn't been raised and the hundreds of police being sent to resorts are just part of the annual summer policing plan. But the story made banner headlines in the British media. In fact it appeared in newspapers across the country.

The travel industry is sensitive to stories of this sort and there is a fear that it could dent holiday sales to Spain. The Spanish authorities issued a communique saying that it was all fake news, but perhaps it was a case of too little too late. The Spanish tourist authorities in both London and Madrid should have jumped on this story at once, stating the facts not the so-called fabrication. I am sure that all British media outlets would have welcomed the other side of the story from Spain. But no. The press release came too late and the damage had been done.

The local authorities here were also concerned at the story and issued their own communique, but it should have been Madrid taking the action and counterbalancing the story. This has happened so many times in the past I have lost count. Britain is vital for Spanish tourism and what is needed is a 24/7 media centre defending Spain and its industry from stories which could hit holiday bookings to the country.