Cruiseliners may boycott popular destinations in Spain, such as Mallorca and Ibiza, if “tourismphobia” continues to escalate.
The warning has been issued by leaders of the Cruise Lines International Association which says there are many other ports across the world willing to take holidaymakers without protests.
“Tourismphobia is not only a problem in Spain, but also in France and other Mediterranean countries, but visitors are increasingly sensitive and the violent attitudes that have been seen in places like Barcelona have an impact on the destination’s reputation,” said Marie Caroline Laurent, CLIA’s European director, during a visit to Madrid.
The CLIA says it does NOT anticipate a drop in turnover due to the continued demonstrations in the Canary Islands, the Balearics and Spanish mainland destinations. In fact, the cruise industry forecasts an increase in capacity of ten per cent in the next five years.
What it could envisage, however, is a major change to the destinations cruise liners travel to, favouring “tourist-friendly” destinations.
Alfredo Serrano, CLIA’s director in Spain, said there are countries like Saudi Arabia and others in the area that are making “million-dollar investments” in boosting their tourism sector and welcoming tourists with open arms.
“As the dialogue with the Barcelona council is complicated, for example, it will result in cancellations and discontent among tourists,” the two representatives said at a press conference.
They made an appeal for authorities stop “demonising” tourism and start to manage cities in a more efficient way.
The CLIA says it is already thinking about changing cities where tourists arrive within Spain.
“The infrastructure is ready,” the association has indicated. “All that is needed is for those responsible for the country’s tourism promotion to offer foreigners to visit other attractive cities such as La Coruña, Ferrol, Almería, Alicante, Cartagena or Cádiz, where more and more ships dock.”
Numerous holiday destinations in Spain, including Tenerife, and in the Balearics, which include Mallorca and Ibiza, have seen demonstrations over the last few months and more are planned. Protestors say they are not against tourists but want numbers limited because of the impact on roads, beauty spots, the beaches and affordability of housing for locals.
Most of the protests have been peaceful but Barcelona has come under fire for demonstrations last week when tourists were sprayed with water and firecrackers were set off in hotel foyers, scenes described by the authorities as “unacceptable”.
The Canary Islands have already called for an urgent national pact across Spain in defence of tourism.
The popular holiday destination, which includes Tenerife, Lanzarote and Gran Canaria, says the brand of the islands and Spain as a whole is being dented by the protests over mass tourism.
Government leaders in the Canaries says Spain has to take a united stance against the escalating situation and reverse the “negative stance.”
And they warn scenes in Barcelona last week when tourists were sprayed with water should be regarded as “very worrying”.
Calling for united action at national level, Minister of Tourism and Employment of the Government of the Canary Islands, Jessica de León said: “We need strategic policies on the tourism sector to be implemented in Spain and tourism activity to be defended and not put at the centre of problems that have nothing to do with the reality of tourism.”
“It is necessary to prevent the Canary Islands brand and the Spain brand from being affected by this type of mobilisations.”
She has called on the Ministry of Industry and Tourism to promote “a pact in defence of tourism”.
“We have been talking about tourism in a negative sense, there have been demonstrations in the Canary Islands that have spread to the rest of the territory,” she said. “It is necessary to prevent the Canary Islands brand and the Spain brand from being affected by this type of demonstrations, not so much those held in the archipelago, but also the “image” transmitted in the Barcelona demonstration on July 6th. This should be very worrying to the Spanish tourism brand.”
And she added: “In Europe we are the Canary Islands but in the rest of the world we go under the umbrella of Turespaña.”
