Tourism and environment ministries host Andalusian travel agents in Gibraltar

The Minister for Tourism, Christian Santos, and the Minister for the Environment, Dr John Cortes, hosted 27 agents from the Agencias de Viajes Asociadas de Andalucía (AEDAV) in Gibraltar.

The network represents more than 85 travel agencies, some of which organise coach tours to Gibraltar for clients across Europe.

Following a welcome address from Mr Santos and Dr Cortes, the delegation attended a presentation by the Ministry of Environment’s Principal Secretary, Dr Liesl Mesilio, who outlined new and upcoming tourist products aimed at enhancing Gibraltar’s visitor experience.

The Gibraltar Tourist Board arranged a guided tour of key attractions, including St Michael’s Cave, the Gorham’s Cave viewing platform, the World War Two tunnels, and the Northern Defences, providing attendees with firsthand insight into Gibraltar’s tourism offerings.

Dr Cortes said: “This was a very useful day for all concerned as it provided the opportunity to show what Gibraltar has to offer the visitor and to get to know each other.”

“We sometimes don’t realise how much we have to offer the tourist, and it’s good to see the interest this has generated. Our ministries will continue to work together to improve our sites and to encourage tourism.”

Mr Santos highlighted the importance of such visits in strengthening relationships with stakeholders.

“Familiarisation trips like these are vital to continue developing relationships with all stakeholders from our feeder markets,” he said.

“The tour operators were impressed with our sites, and I am positive this will lead to further visitors from the surrounding region, especially as we continue to expand on our tourist offerings here in Gibraltar.”