Gibraltar to thank UK trade with new agent pass

Gibraltar is preparing to introduce an “agent pass” to thank the UK trade for promoting the destination.

The Gibraltar Agent Pass, due to launch in 2026, will include a number of benefits for the trade, which are yet to be revealed.

Gibraltar’s minister for tourism Christian Santos hailed agents’ contribution to this year’s rise in visitor numbers from the UK.

He added: “We’ve had a great relationship with agents this year. We’ve hosted a lot of fam trips, we hosted the Aito Famference in June and the Business Travel Association’s autumn conference last year.

“The Gibraltar Agent Pass is a new initiative we’ll launch for 2026 as our way of saying thanks to those agents, and the trade as a whole, for promoting Gibraltar. We’ll have more details when we formally launch it.”

Year on year, land visitors to the country are up 3.9%, cruise calls have increased by 10% and tourist spending is up 7.1%. Aviation passenger traffic has increased by 12.8% since 2021.

This growth comes before a landmark year for Gibraltar, with the minister hoping the historic post-Brexit treaty deal agreed in June will be signed before the end of 2025.

He added: “We’re waiting to hear when the agreement will be signed.

“Hopefully it will be before the end of this year, but that’s not a date that’s been confirmed.

“But even though it opens up the Schengen Area to us, our main market will always be the UK. 

“What this deal has done has made our British identity more palpable. When working with the EU it’s important to remain British in our identity, which is an essential part of what makes Gibraltar what it is today.”

There will also be a string of new attractions opening next year in Gibraltar. Its Moorish Castle will reopen following refurbishment with a new dungeons experience where its former prison once was, while the Northern Defences, a network of wartime tunnels, will be transformed into an immersive heritage experience. 

It is also hoped craft brewery Hollow Rock will open next year, while Gibraltar’s cable car is due to undergo a two-year revamp to double its current capacity and become a fully accessible attraction when it reopens in 2027.