Calls for fast track judiciary for tourists

The tourist industry is calling for a shake-up of the Spanish justice system to make way for quick trials of tourists involved in any criminal activity during their holiday. The tourism lobby group Mesa del Turismo met to discuss the situation during last week's FITUR trade fair in Madrid and its newly elected president, Juan Andrés Melián, has already approached the Minister for Justice, Angel Acebes, with the group's recommendation. Juan Andrés Melián says that with the majority of tourists spending between eight and 12 days on holiday in Spain, delinquents are slipping through the judicial net because of the short time frame and once cases do come to court, there are further problems because the delinquent is not in the country. Melián said yesterday that there are growing concerns about the effects security and safety are having on the Spanish tourist industry. He claimed that they have been two of the key reasons why the number of Japanese visitors to Spain has fallen. The Mesa del Turismo lobby represents 32 different companies from all sectors of the tourist and transport industry and the 32 unanimously back the idea. All agree that with a few “touches to the judicial process,” fast track hearings could be introduced for foreign offenders. Some local authorities from the Balearics to across Spain will be starting to think about the forthcoming World Cup and the security implications involved. With only a relative minority of fans expected to travel to South Korea and Japan because of the huge costs involved, many will however opt for watching the tournament in the sunshine. The fact that the World Cup is being staged so far away from Europe, could in fact work in favour of some of the continent's top summer destinations. In Ibiza, the police are co-operating with their British counterparts to crack down on drug dealing.