Tourists urged to keep faith with Spain
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Date: 18/3/04
By Charles Starmer-Smith and Adrian Bridge Daily Telegraph 13 March 2004
British travellers were urged not to be put off visiting Spain following the bomb attacks in Madrid this week that killed more than 190 people.
A spokesman for the Spanish Tourist Office likened the bombings to the September 11 attacks. He said all Western democracies faced such threats.
British tour operators to Spain said that although there would be an immediate dip in bookings they expected travel to the country to pick up again relatively quickly.
Thomson Cities, part of the Thomson group, said that anyone booked to go to Madrid within the next few days would be able to postpone the trip or choose an alternative destination.
Bridge Travel, one of Britain's largest city-break specialists, was allowing anyone booked to go to the Spanish capital this weekend to postpone until later in the month.
The Spanish government blamed Eta, the Basque separatist group for the blasts, although it was feared that they could have been the work of al-Qa'eda.
The bombs exploded simultaneously at train stations and on trains around Madrid during rush hour on Thursday morning in what was the country's worst-ever terrorist attack.
The attacks came against the backdrop of a series of bombings and attempted bombings by Eta. In the past, the group has targeted tourist destinations and it has threatened to do so again this summer.
The Foreign Office updated its travel advice on Thursday to make travellers aware of the explosions and the disruption caused to the Spanish transport system, but said it was unlikely to warn against non-essential travel to the country.
The FO does, however, urge tourists to Spain to be "alert to the activities" of Eta and to be "vigilant" in public places.
Sean Tipton, spokesman for the Association of British Travel Agents, said he did not think Britons would be deterred from travelling to Spain.
"Terrorist attacks like this are a worldwide problem and are not specific to Spain," he said. "British travellers are fairly level-headed: they may be put off travelling to the country in the short term, but not in the long run."
Spain was the most popular destination for British holidaymakers last year, attracting more than 12 million visitors.
A leading travel risk company recently removed Spain from its list of the 10 countries where tourists are most at risk of terrorist attacks.
IJet Travel Risk Management, an American company that analyses more than 450 destinations around the world, said that, in spite of the continuing threat from Eta, the efforts made by the Spanish government to combat terrorism warranted the country's removal from the list. IJet listed Kenya, Russia and Turkey among the 10 countries where travellers are most at risk from terrorism. Although the FO warns of a "general threat" of terrorism in these countries, it stops short of advising against travel to them.
IJet believes that the threat of terrorism in Turkey remains high after the bomb attacks in Istanbul in November, in which more than 50 people died. Other countries named by IJet as high risk were Colombia, Indonesia, Israel, Pakistan, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia and Yemen.
* Following last week’s bomb attacks in Madrid, the Foreign Office (FO: 0870 606 0290, www.fco.gov.uk) has admitted that holidaymakers in Spain could face further attacks this summer.
To date 202 people had died after explosions at three train stations in the capital The Spanish goverment has launched an investigation into the tragedy, but ministers have suggested that it was the work of the Basque separatist group Eta.
The FO says: “Eta recently renewed its threat to attack the Spanish tourist industry. There is a chance that visitors will be caught up in further attacks in tourist areas. Holidaymakers should therefore remain vigilant in public places, including tourist sites.â€Â
It is not advising against travel to Spain, and says that most visits are trouble-free.
The FO adds that, on February 18, Eta announced a ceasefire for Catalonia, which includes the popular tourist centres of Barcelona and the Costa Brava. The Spanish tourist board in London refused to comment, but the Association of British Travel Agents (Abta) says: “We expect the reaction from the public to be level-headed. People appreciate that the threat from terrorism is worldwide. We did not see demand for Turkey drop significantly after the Istanbul bombings.â€Â
Because the FO is not advising against nonessential travel to Spain, those who wish to change their plans will find that most tour operators will impose penalty charges to make alterations.
Spain is the most popular destination for British holidaymakers. Last July, Eta claimed responsibility for bomb attacks at hotels in Alicante and Benidorm in which 13 people, including one Briton, were injured.
It also planted devices in hotels in Bilbao and Pamplona, and in an airport car park at Santander.
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