Britain tries to attract spanish

The British and Spanish authorities have both launched campaigns aimed at reassuring each other that both countries are safe and “open for business” after the British tourist industry was hit by foot-and-mouth and the Spanish tourist sector is under threat from domestic terrorism. Neither the Balearic Minister nor Ministry for Tourism is making any comment about the Basque separatist group ETA's threat to attack tourist resorts and warnings to foreign holidaymakers to stay away because the Balearics “do not want to magnify” the situation.” But sources in Palma have admitted that the threats are “not good for the tourist industry's image, but we've had no terrorist activities here (in the Balearics) and there is no need for alarm.” The irony facing the Balearic tourist industry is that it has benefited greatly from the Eastern Mediterranean's terrorism problems over recent years, but now that stability has returned to the region, destinations such as Turkey and Egypt are seeing their tourism industry boom. It is now the Balearics facing a precarious future. What is more, on the quiet, British tour operators are expecting the foot-and-mouth outbreak to fuel sales of holidays to the sun. Only two weeks ago the police and the bomb squad swooped on an apartment block in Santa Ponsa after a bomb alert was received by the 112 emergency service.