Six Spanish airports could be “chaotic” for British travellers this summer, according to an alliance of tourism companies.
South and North Tenerife airports, as well as those in Gran Canaria, Malaga and Palma are all set to be most affected over the next few weeks, according to reports.
Non-profit group Exceltur, which represents industries such as airlines, cruises, hotels, travel agencies and tour operators, made the warning on Thursday.
“European and national demand is very high,” said José Luis Zoreda, alliance vice president, who added that demand could be “chaotic” - reaching the 2019 tourism peak.
Mr Zoreda said it is “urgent” to improve the provision of border controls to try and improve the situation, he is quoted as saying in the Majorca Daily Bulletin.
Mr Zoreda added that the Madrid-Barajas airport could also be beset by issues related to staffing shortages on passport control.
Spain was the most popular EU destination for tourists in 2019 and the second most visited country in the world. The highest number of tourists are British - with 18 million paying a visit in 2018, while the second largest visiting group were Germans at 11 million. Catalonia, which includes Barcelona, is the most visited Spanish region.
The post-lockdown rise in demand could pose problems for Brits making a getaway but in Spain the prediction has been welcomed as a timely boost to the tourism-reliant economy.
The tourism sector accounted for 13 per cent of jobs before the pandemic and a similar percentage of its GDP.
Spanish tourism minister Reyes Maroto told the media on Monday: “The number of bookings confirms Spain as a favourite international destination and indicates a good outlook for the high season.”
