Business organisations in the Balearics are expressing their concern at the national government's "passivity" and lack of information regarding the effects of Brexit on tourism.
The concern arises from the fact that the government's contingency plan for a no-deal Brexit makes reference to, for example, residents' status, customs and fishing quotas but not to tourism.
Carmen Planas, the president of the Confederation of the Balearic Business Associations, has written to the national minister of industry, trade and tourism, Reyes Maroto, and highlighted Balearic business disquiet. She points out that UK tourism is of fundamental importance to the islands and refers to anxieties about what might happen regarding the movement of people.
The possibility of visas doesn't seem to be of major concern. More of an issue is air travel. Planas notes the "thorny question" of connectivity and of "things not being as they were before". The European Commission has advised that the situation will not be the same. "Therefore, we are asking for maximum information from the government."
The vice-president of the Majorca Hoteliers Federation, María José Aguiló, agrees that the government has made little effort with regard to tourism and that "this concerns us". No information, she says, is coming from Madrid. The president of the Pimem small to medium-sized businesses association, Jordi Mora, argues that there should be greater proactivity in seeking alternative markets to mitigate tourism effects of Brexit.
