Give me a break, surely the summer silly season is over. Reaction in the British media to plans in Spain to introduce new tough crackdowns on smoking has been met by claims that it will hit British tourism. That said, certain sections of the Spanish tourist industry have made similar comments, but I think there’s some politics at play on the domestic front.
According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS) data, 11.9 per cent of UK adults - approximately six million people - smoked in 2023, marking the lowest proportion since records began in 2011; these are the latest figures. So, of those six million people, how many travel and how many come to Spain and the Balearics? I doubt it’s a percentage large enough to crash the Spanish tourist economy.
And, to be honest, if one of the primary concerns of travelling Britons is whether they can smoke or not, well it’s a pretty poor reflection on them. It’s up there with complaints of there being too many Spaniards in Benidorm and not enough English food, in particular baked beans and chips, at breakfast in Crete - not to mention that tea does not taste the same overseas.
What about enjoying the attractions, having some fun, culture, trying local food, exploring the environment and heritage, having an adventure or experimenting with the language? Stay at home.