Gibraltar’s tourism minister says the British overseas territory has “endless” opportunities for growth after Covid has “shown us what can be achieved”.
Speaking at Travel Weekly’s Future of Travel conference, Vijay Daryanani acknowledged the “debilitating” year the travel industry has faced and said “we can each learn something from our individual experiences through this crisis”.
He said: “Reflecting on the months past and where we are today, Gibraltar remains grateful for the affection and support shown to us from the media and our trade partners, who continue to find green shoots in these turbulent times.
“Like all jurisdictions, Gibraltar suffered at the start of the pandemic but our government’s swift actions have helped to protect our people and our businesses. Safety remains at the heart of our operations.”
Daryanani said Gibraltar was “fortunate” to have been on the UK government’s green list since the traffic light lists were introduced, adding: “We never closed our doors to the outside world.”
“Close ties with the UK” helped Gibraltar administer 100% vaccination programme by the late spring, he said, noting it had “contributed to what has been an unparalleled summer”.
Daryanani said Gibraltar’s hotels are “full for now” but said the destination is “continually looking to the future”.
“Covid has shown us what can be achieved and we are ready to build forward,” he said. “There is much that we have learnt from this experience and much that we are still to learn, but what we see is that our room for growth is endless.”
He acknowledged that the UK left the EU “in the midst of this crisis”, but said: “While Brexit formalities are still to be rubber stamped we remain optimistic that a wealth of untapped opportunity lies ahead.”
Daryanani noted “much remains unknown” but said Gibraltar plans “a bolder, brighter, sustainable future” in the coming years and pointed to “a minimum of two new hotel builds”, including a five-star Hilton property.
Addressing the UK trade, he said: “My message is one both of thanks but also to signal our enthusiasm to engage with new industry partners, bringing brave new ideas to the table.
“Our doors remain open, I hope that you may find reason to come and visit us soon.”