125 pct more UAE tourists to Spain in last three years, more awareness needed for halal offerings - official
Photo: Tourists ride a double-decker bus on Passeig de Gracia avenue on October 20, 2017 in Barcelona, Spain. Getty Images/Sean Gallup
DUBAI - Spain has attracted more than double the number of visitors from the United Arab Emirates over the last three years but more is still needed to raise awareness of the European country's Muslim-friendly and halal offerings, Miguel Nieto-Sandoval, Tourism Counsellor for the Gulf Region at the Embassy of Spain in the UAE told Salaam Gateway.
About 90,000 tourists from the UAE visited Spain in 2017, up from nearly 40,000 in 2014, an increase of almost 125 percent, according to Nieto-Sandoval.
The increase in UAE visitors to Spain followed the May 2015 waiver of the Schengen visa for UAE nationals, making it easier for Emiratis to travel to most European countries, including Spain. Nieto-Sandoval also attributed part of the surge to Spain’s marketing efforts targeting the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries.
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