Spanish Air Traffic Controller Strike Could Hurt the Travel Industry

Spain’s tourism industry is one of the largest in Europe, although an ongoing air traffic controller strike in the Southern European country threatens to turn it into an economic disaster. Airport staff in Spain’s major travel centres have threatened to vacate their posts temporarily in order to secure greater pay, leaving hundreds of thousands of international tourists without steady transportation.

It’s certainly not the first strike of the last decade in Spain’s travel industry. The nation’s turbulent travel sector brings in billions to the nations economy, although it it widely regarded outside of the country as loaded with traps and inconsistencies. The most recent air strike comes at a difficult time for the country’s economy – European tourism is beginning to recover, and a strike could hurt it.

With the United States’ First Lady Michelle Obama’s recent vacation highlighting the country’s lush landscapes and tourist sights, many within the Spanish travel industry are predicting a resurgence in the number of overseas tourists visiting the country. The strike, poorly timed at the height of tourist season, threatens to cost the country millions of dollars in potentially earned revenue and exposure.

Worse still, a major strike in Spain’s travel industry could create a reputation of poor planning and relative instability. While authorities are in talks with air traffic control unions surrounding the plan, many are fearful that a ‘successful’ strike could lead to Spain’s tourism industry seeing a permanent decline in income. The controllers have been criticised publicly for their higher-than-most salaries.

Tourism officials and business owners alike are hopeful that the strike will not come to a walk-out of the control positions. Although the government has emergency measures ready to be put in place, many of which will involve military appointees controlling airport strategy, most believe that the strike will be just as bad for public perception as it may be for the country’s revenues.