Airline boss has criticised the Spanish left-wing government for flirting with hypocrisy for allegedly attracting rich travellers to the country. For the Jet2 CEO Steve Heapy, this goes against its ‘socialist utopia’. During the Association of British Travel Agents’ annual conference – held on the Spanish island of Mallorca – he said tourism bosses want rich holidaymakers only, calling it “absolutely disgraceful”.
Referring to the government’s ads “Think you know Spain? Think agan”, he said: “When you boil down what they’ve said, ‘we want a different type of customer’. They basically want rich people, which doesn’t fit given Spain is supposed to be a socialist utopia.
“I don’t think it’s very fair. I don’t think holidays should be something for the rich and privileged. I think holidays should be something for everyone. And if a prerequisite to going on holidays is being rich, I think that’s absolutely disgraceful.”
The adverts follow mass protests against tourism in Spain, urging tourists to “go home” and even targeting them with water pistols. Earlier this year, Heapy said Jet2 “had people ringing the call centre and going into travel agents, asking questions like ‘is Spain safe’, ‘are we still welcome in the resort’.” He added this is “becoming a big issue unfortunately, and perception becomes truth.”
Through the ads, the Spanish government is trying to convey the message that tourists can endulge in slower and more sustainable holidays, promoting wineries, medieval castle luxury hotels, surf camps, truffle tasting, or “gastronomic experiences with seasonal produce”.
The campaign’s website says: “There is another way to travel. Calmer, more aware, more personal. In Spain you will want to stop in every village and landscape to discover its culture and connect with the environment.”
Heapy acknowledged that several of Spain’s top tourist destinations are struggling with problems caused by inadequate tourism oversight. But he attributed much of this to unregulated short-term rentals, particularly through platforms like Airbnb. He suggested that hosts operating without proper licences or tax registration should face steep penalties — up to €250,000 (around £217,000) — and potential jail time if fines go unpaid.
Jet2 is Britain’s largest package-holiday airline, carrying nearly 18 million passengers last year, The Telegraph has reported.