Long queues and waiting times at passport controls at numerous Spanish airports have become a structural problem that seriously harms the travel experience and Spain’s reputation as a premier tourist destination, the Spanish Confederation of Hotels and Tourist Accommodation warns.
This situation, repeatedly denounced by hotel associations in different territories, particularly affects airports with a high volume of international passengers, such as Malaga, Tenerife South, Lanzarote and other tourist destinations of reference, where the arrival of non-EU travellers – especially from the UK – generates recurrent bottlenecks in border controls.
According to CEHAT, the problem is not specific or circumstantial, as it denounces that the biometric and technological control systems are not yet operating at full capacity and have a serious lack in operating times. The confederation also notes that this is made worse by the insufficient number of police officers to meet the actual demand.
Jorge Marichal, president of CEHAT, said: “We are facing a common situation in many international airports in Spain that requires an immediate and coordinated response from the State. It is not reasonable that, after a trip of several hours, tourists face waits of an hour or more to be able to enter the country.”
The employers’ association states that these queues not only cause discomfort among visitors but also affect residents, workers in the sector, and the tourism chain as a whole.
Additionally, it claims that the situation is damaging Spain’s reputation in a context of growing international competition among destinations.
Another issue that CEHAT is concerned about is the impact long waits have on its “profile of tourists”, which is mostly made up of “families with small children, elderly people or travellers with special needs, for whom standing for long periods of time is an added detriment”.
The employers’ association states that there is no empathetic or sufficient response from the managers of airport infrastructure or those responsible for entry control, despite the groups requiring differentiated attention.
Now, CEHAT is calling on the Ministry of the Interior to adopt urgent and structural measures, including: the full operation and optimisation of technological and biometric border control systems, resource planning in accordance with the sustained growth of international tourism and peaks in demand in high seasons, and the stable reinforcement of police officers at airports with the highest international traffic.
Mr Marichal said: “The quality of the tourist experience begins at the airport.
“Spain cannot afford that the first contact of millions of visitors with our country is an endless queue at passport control. This is also a Spain brand and we must protect it”.