The Diplomat
The Algerian government has ordered a freeze on tourism cooperation with Spain following the suspension of the bilateral Treaty of Friendship, Good Neighborliness and Cooperation in retaliation for the change of position of Pedro Sánchez’s government on Western Sahara.
The Ministry of Tourism and Handicrafts sent this past Sunday a note to tourism and travel agencies, picked up by local media, ordering them to “immediately stop working” with Spain “in the framework of the implementation of the decision of the country’s high authorities concerning the immediate suspension of the Treaty of Friendship, Good Neighborliness and Cooperation signed by our country on October 8, 2002 with the Kingdom of Spain.”
In declarations to the press at the end of the meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council in Luxembourg, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, assured yesterday that “neither the Government nor the Spanish companies are aware” of this alleged decision of Algeria, which, for the moment, “seems more like a communication from a local authority”. In any case, he assured, if this measure were confirmed, the Government would act as “it has been acting with Algeria”. Spain’s objective, he assured, is to maintain “the best relations with Algeria and with its Government, but, of course, always firmly defending the interests of Spanish companies, in this case the tourist ones”.
The decision could be a blow for the Algerian travel agencies, which maintain an intense activity with Spain, especially in the organization of trips and family stays, especially intense during the summer. Thousands of Algerians request, throughout the year, the services of travel and tourism agencies for stays in Spanish resorts within the framework of tourism cooperation between the travel and tourism agencies of both countries.
According to local media, following the suspension of tourism activities with Spain, many Algerians fear that this measure will be extended to the air and maritime transport sector between the two countries. In addition, the Algerian authorities have decided not to grant Spain any additional flights or maritime services under the new summer program announced on May 19 by the Algerian Ministry of Transport. At present, there are a very small number of flights and maritime crossings between the two countries.
On the air transport side, Air Algerie operates four flights a week between Algiers and Barcelona. Spanish airlines Vueling and Iberia serve Algiers from Barcelona and Madrid with another four weekly flights. In maritime transport, Algeria Ferries has only one crossing to Alicante. On the Spanish side, Balearia and Transmediterranea serve Mostaganem, Ghazaouet and Oran from Valencia and Almeria once a week, respectively.
