MADRID— Tourist bookings for October in Spain, one of the worlds top three tourist destinations, have fallen 30% after last months attacks on the United States, Trade Secretary Juan Costa told Reuters Oct. 9. Costa added that October plane reservations in Spain were down 20% to 30% on a year ago, with the worst effects seen in European and U.S. flights. “Hotel bookings are down 30%. There have been cancellations in five-star hotels and in business bookings,” Costa told a parliamentary committee. Five-star and luxury hotels such as the Ritz in Madrid or the Hotel Arts in Barcelona are some of the hardest hit by the sudden decline in U.S. visitors. Global tourism experts have said that the industry is facing the worst crisis since the Gulf War in 1991, with the impact likely to cost billions of dollars and be felt for years to come. Tourism accounts for around 11% of Spanish gross domestic product and brings in about $60 billion a year. SOURCE: Reuters
