British travel boss warns Spain protests are having an impact

Jet2’s Steve Heapy says Britons are worried

Jet2's CEO, Steve Heapy, said that there was a growing "perception" among some UK sun-seekers that they're no longer welcome in

Jet2's CEO, Steve Heapy, said that there was a growing "perception" among some UK sun-seekers that they're no longer welcome in Spain | Photo: Majorca Daily Bulletin reporter

| Palma |

The Spanish tourist board mounted a damage limitation operation in London this week to try and play down the impact the anti-mass tourism protests in Mallorca and across Spain have had on the UK market. Manuel Butler, director of the Spanish Tourist Office in London, said it is “important to distinguish between specific local tensions and the broader national picture. The vast majority of Spain remains enthusiastic in welcoming tourists.

“Where protests have occurred – in cities such as Barcelona, Palma and Santa Cruz – concerns stem from broader societal issues: housing pressures, rising costs of living, and environmental strain in high-density areas.”

However, Jet2's CEO, Steve Heapy, said that there was a growing "perception" among some UK sun-seekers that they're no longer welcome in Spain. Heapy said: “We’ve had people ringing the call centre and going into travel agents, asking questions like ‘is Spain safe’, ‘are we still welcome in the resort’. It is becoming a big issue unfortunately, and perception becomes truth.”

Heapy said “unlicensed tourism” – such as people staying in private accommodation listed on Airbnb – is “causing a huge problem” and “needs to be controlled”. Issues such as uncertainty over visitor numbers, unpaid tourist taxes and properties that “could be death traps” are among the issues, he said.

“Unfortunately there’s been a massive explosion in unlicensed tourism properties.” He said: “Airbnb can be controlled. They don’t rule the world. They are an online platform that we can control and put legislation in place.” Heapy said if he was a politician he would introduce fines of “a quarter of a million euros” for Airbnb hosts found not to have the required licences or tax records.

Spain's Secretary of State for Tourism Rosario Sanchez Grau said: "We are proud and grateful that Spain remains the number one holiday destination for UK visitors. It is our priority to protect and nurture this relationship for the future." But over the past few weeks new protests have been staged in Soller and Santanyi with the threat of further demonstrations across the country in the middle of June.

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