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Complete recovery
Anna Ellis
SPAIN received 7.2 million tourists in April, which is 20 per cent above the best prepandemic figure.
In the first four months of 2023, Spain received a total of 21 million arrivals, 32.4 per cent more than in the same period of 2022.
Visitor and spending records were also broken in April: €8.48 billion, 22.7 per cent more than in 2022 and
Betty Henderson
THE ongoing negotiations between Spain and the United Kingdom regarding Gibraltar’s postBrexit status have hit a roadblock due to the recentlyannounced Spanish elections.
The elections, which have been announced for Sunday, July 23, could bring about a change in national leadership.
When the European Union and the UK finalised their Brexit agreement, they failed to address the pressing issue of Gibraltar’s border condi
20.2 per cent more than the best pre pandemic figure (2019).
Spain was visited by 7.2 million international tourists in April, 18.5 per cent more than in the same period of 2022, and 1.2 per cent more than in April 2019.
These figures represent an alltime record in terms of visitor numbers and spending: €8.48 billion, 22.7 per cent more than a year ago and
20.2 per cent more than the best prepandemic figure, according to Frontur and Egatur data published by the National Statistics Institute (INE).
Minister for Industry, Trade and Tourism, Hector Gomez, confirmed: “These are extraordinary figures that demonstrate, once again, that Spain is at the forefront of world tourism, and that the tourism recovery is complete.” tions. As a result, negotiations have been ongoing for two and a half years, with 13 formal rounds of talks held since October 2021.
However, with the Spanish democratic process now in full swing, sources from the Gibraltar government have confirmed that both the UK and the EU have agreed to suspend further formal meetings until a new Spanish government is established. Infor mal discussions, however, are expected to continue.
