The Diplomat
As of recently, Spain has two new honorary consulates, one in Turkey and the other in Mozambique.
The creation of the two consular offices -one in Bodrum (Turkey) and the other in Inhambane (Mozambique)- was published in the Official State Gazette on the 6th of last month, by orders of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
As for the Honorary Consulate in Bodrum, which will be attached to the Spanish Embassy in Ankara, it is justified by the desire to maintain a permanent presence in the province of Mugla, as other Member States of the European Union have done, making it easier to deal with urgent cases of protection and consular assistance for the growing number of Spanish tourists visiting the area.
Bodrum”, the ministerial order states, “stands out for its important tourist attraction. The main economic activities of the province are cultural and high-end beach tourism, with Bodrum being the capital of prestige tourism in the province and in Turkey. Mugla receives almost three million tourists a year, the vast majority of them Europeans, and among them an increasing number of Spaniards, attracted by the ruins of the Mausoleum of ancient Halicarnassus (now Bodrum) and the beaches. Its attractiveness for Spanish tourists is enhanced by the existence of two international airports connected to most Spanish airports with a single stop-over”.
As for Inhambane, which will depend on the Embassy in Maputo, the ministerial order highlights that one of its main economic activities is beach tourism and water sports, and that most Spanish tourists who visit Mozambique do so on the coast of this province.
In this context,” says the order, “consular emergencies involving Spaniards, especially non-resident tourists, occur regularly. To the significant presence of Spanish tourists in Inhambane must be added a large number of aid workers, as the province of Inhambane is a priority for Catalan Cooperation. The Spanish Red Cross and Architects Without Borders are also present in this province. As a result, Inhambane has a permanent community of Spanish residents, who work in the tourism sector or in development cooperation”.
