Plans to introduce a border fee between Gibraltar and Spain could be illegal, its tourism board has suggested.
Reports from the weekend indicated that Spain’s foreign minister Jose Manuel Garcia-Margallo said the Spanish government could introduce a EUR50 (GBP43.40) fee and close airspace to delay flights as tensions between the British-owned territory and Spain escalated.
It comes as Spain increased border checks on the border this weekend, leaving some drivers waiting up to seven hours in the heat.
But a spokesperson from the Gibraltar Tourist Board told Travel Daily it was confident any move to introduce a fee could be illegal.
In a statement, the spokesperson said: “The Gibraltar Tourist Board is always concerned with any external factors that may affect tourism to the Rock in a negative way. Like all in Gibraltar this situation will be monitored with interest but we are confident that any attempt to introduce a border fee would be illegal.”
The increased checks are thought to be in response to the construction of an artificial reef by Gibraltar. Although Spain has claimed the reef impacts its boats and fisherman, it denied that the checks were linked to the situation and instead were put in place to help prevent smuggling.
According to reports in UK newspapers, the Foreign Office has voiced concern over a recent interview with Margallo where he declared “The party is over” for friendly relations between the two and revealed this thoughts.
The UK government said it will request an explanation from Spanish authorities and hopes to resolve the issue through political means and “not through disproportionate measures”.
If introduced, the fee will impact on the 30,000 that travel across the border every day for day trips, holidays or evening entertainment.
The Gibraltar Tourism Board had not replied to a request for comment.
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