Jet2 chief concedes some travellers concerned by Spain overtourism protests

Jet2 chief executive Steve Heapy has warned that the travel industry needs to be prepared to respond to clients who are worried about potential overtourism protests in Spain.

 

Heapy said the company’s call centre had received calls from concerned clients, with agencies also reporting they had encountered queries about the issue.

 

“Most protests are small but I have seen headlines for the past 12 months,” he said. “Perception becomes reality.”

 

He added: “As an industry, we have to be armed with responses to people who come into Barrhead Travel shops carrying a copy of the Daily Mail asking if it’s safe to go to Spain.”

 

Heapy, who was a panellist during a roundtable event at the Spanish embassy in London, gave his comment in response to a contribution from Nicki Tempest-Mitchell, the managing director of Barrhead Travel, who was in the audience.

 

She said: “The protests are small but they’re mighty and they’re worrying people.”

 

Tour operators and destinations need to have “better communication” with the trade, she said, adding: “I think it’s really important that you embrace the agent community.”

 

Heapy said he was not aware of any spikes in cancellations linked to concerns about the protests, but he added he understood clients’ hesitation before travel.

 

“If you’re going on holiday with your kids and you hear there might be anti-tourism protests in a destination, you might think again about going there,” he said.

 

Heapy was on a panel alongside the mayors of San Bartolomé de Tirajana in Gran Canaria, Arona in Tenerife, Benidorm and Salou, who all played down the significance of the protests for UK visitors.

 

Fátima Lemes, the mayor of Arona, said the demonstrations “don’t reflect the reality of the day to day for tourists”, adding: “The majority of our region is thankful for tourism.”

 

She and the other mayors said a lack of local housing supply was a key reason for the protests, with all arguing that the issue was being addressed.

 

Benidorm mayor Antonio Perez said: “We should try not to blame tourism, because there are many aspects here that have nothing to do with tourism.”

 

He said the clampdown on unlicensed accommodation would ease tensions, with inspections and fines playing an important role.

 

Salou mayor Pere Granados said: “We can’t say the lack of affordable housing is the tourists’ fault. It’s nothing to do with tourism. It’s a problem we all have. 

 

“That’s because in Spain we have not been developing proper housing in the last few years. 

 

“Access to housing for people is not something we can resolve through the private sector. We need the government to guarantee access to affordable housing. 

 

“This is under the Spanish constitution and this is not something that has been done in the past few years in Spain.”

 

He added that the new government in Catalonia was committed to building 50,000 new homes.

 

Marco Pérez, mayor of San Bartolomé de Tirajana, said protestors were “demonstrating about housing”.

 

“Maybe we have to change our mentality as Spaniards from being homeowners to being renters, as in many other European countries,” he said.