Sponsor of the Month: The Gibraltar Tourist Board

Created by doina. Last modified on 2006-04-20 09:45:38
Countries: Gibraltar

The Gibraltar Tourist Board has been a generous supporter of noonsite.com ever since the launch of this website. Gibraltar has been associated with sailing and related activities throughout its history, and the current government is not only keen to continue this tradition but also to actively encourage and support any sailing project that may be of benefit to Gibraltar. As a result Gibraltar was the starting and finishing point of the very first round the world yacht rally in 1991-92 and has been hosting similar events ever since.

Yachting and related activities are only one of the many strands that make up the Tourist Board’s multifarious activities and fits in perfectly with its main objective: the development of Gibraltar as a vibrant tourist destination in the Mediterranean. Every year, Gibraltar welcomes over 5,000 yachts, over seven million visitors and a large number of cruise ship passengers. This remarkable success is a relatively recent phenomenon as it is only in the last ten years that Gibraltar has seen such a boost in tourism, but now it is reaping the benefits of its ever improving reputation as a desirable tourist destination. Nowhere is this upward swing better shown than in the number of cruise ships whose number has gone up from 67 ships ten years ago to over 200 expected in 2006.

Tourism plays a major part in Gibraltar’s economy but this was not always the case, and the Rock’s current economic success is nothing short of a miracle. Throughout its recent history, Gibraltar’s economic survival depended on the naval dockyards and its almost sole source of revenue was the British Ministry of Defence. With the winding down of Britain’s military presence coupled with a higher degree of autonomy, Gibraltar was forced to diversify its economy so as to attain a certain level of self-sufficiency. Its ideal location at the meeting point between the Atlantic and Mediterranean provides Gibraltar with a unique opportunity to provide a whole range of services to shipping: bunkering, provisioning, crew changes, ship’s register. Furthermore, thanks to its location, Gibraltar can provide a range of “off port limits” services which allow ships to receive provisions, spare parts or change crew without coming off charter or leaving international waters. Usually these operations are carried out while the ship is still under way and the whole procedure can be done in as little as 15 minutes.

Currently Gibraltar has regular flights to London and Manchester (four daily in summer and three daily in winter) but it is expected that an agreement will be reached soon with Spain concerning joint commercial use of the airport. This would result in more airlines, including some Spanish companies, using Gibraltar and providing flights to a number of European destinations. Such an agreement would point to the steady improvement in relations with Spain, which is largely due to the efforts of the Chief Minister Peter Caruana, now serving his third term as leader of the Gibraltar government.

The Rock’s economic boom has shown the necessity of increasing the number of hotel beds from the current 1200 with at least four new hotels being planned to be built in the next two or three years. The most important project for Gibraltar is the development of a major new luxury complex on the eastern side of the Rock. The development of Sovereign Bay will start during 2006 and will involve an investment of around £1 billion making it the largest project of its kind ever undertaken in Gibraltar. The main feature will be a new marina with at least 500 berths, some suitable for mega-yachts. Adjacent to this will be a cruise ship terminal for vessels with maximum 500 passengers, while larger cruise ships will continue to use the existing terminal at Western Arm. Other features of the new complex include a hotel, luxury apartments and leisure facilities.

One other important economic activity is the financial and banking services provided by Gibraltar. These will flourish even more with the planned opening of Gibraltar’s own stock exchange in the very near future.

Yachting continues to play an important part in these development plans with all of the three existing marinas being refurbished or enlarged. The repair and maintenance facility for super-yachts at the Cammel Laird yard has proved particularly successful and the further development of facilities for such yachts, of which more and more call at Gibraltar regularly, is a first priority for the authorities.

Most of the tourists who visit Gibraltar are day visitors attracted to the Rock by its heritage sites, the cable car trip to the top of the Rock, which includes a visit to the famous apes’ den, and the excellent shopping thanks to Gibraltar’s non-VAT status. New attractions planned by the Tourist Board include a leisure complex developed in an old military bastion. It will have bowling alleys, cinemas, restaurants and shops. Gibraltar hosts various festivals and events, with the most spectacular reserved for National Day (10th September) marked by concerts and fireworks displays.

For visiting sailors the absence of VAT makes shopping and provisioning highly attractive. For similar reasons, registering a yacht in Gibraltar is also an attractive option. In order to make their visit as painless as possible, the authorities have now simplified clearance procedures for sailors who no longer need to visit customs and immigration offices on arrival, but complete all formalities at the marina of their choice. Welcome to Gibraltar!

Note: Noonsite wishes to thank Mr Peter Canessa, Chief Executive Officer of the Gibraltar Tourist Board, for granting an interview to our reporter that formed the basis of the above.