UK tourists may boycott Spanish holidays in favour of other destinations after the announcement of the new £97 rule.
In 2023, an estimated 63% of the UK travelled to Spain for a sunny getaway, and it’s been the number one destination for British holidaymakers for quite some time now.
It’s not difficult to see why - with sunny beaches, short flights, and lots of beautiful places to choose from at an affordable price.
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But Brits could be taking their families elsewhere as of this year, after a new £97 rule has been put in place by Spanish authorities.
The rule is all down to the EU's Schengen Area, with other new rules already meaning you could get banned from Europe for three years for not following them.
There are 27 countries in the Schengen Area: Austria, Belgium, Czechia, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Norway, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.
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The UK Foreign Office has issued residents with a warning if they're heading to anywhere in Spain, as the new rule states that British travellers need to have €113.40 (£97) on hand every day if they choose to go - meaning that people are now having to prove that they have enough cash to visit.
Well, the announcement hasn't gone down all too well, as tourists have claimed they simply will ‘not go’ and if they stay true to their word, it is going to have a bigger impact on Spain than originally anticipated.
Talking to BirminghamLive, one British jet-setter said: “If the country would stand together and boycott Spain in favour of other Mediterranean countries, within three months they would be begging us to come back.
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“17 million visitors is a lot of money to the Spanish economy.”
Another furious Brit said: “Why not take it to a country where you are welcome and not just your money? Vote with your wallet.
“Spain will get the message, even if by then you've discovered better places and never return to Spain.”
And a third said: “Simply don't go and spend your money in the UK or elsewhere instead and those countries will lose out!
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“They will soon put an end to it when they are not receiving any money from British tourism.”
The new rule doesn’t just apply to those thinking of jetting away to mainland Spain though, as it also includes the Canary Islands and Balearics.
One tourist who branded Spain ‘desperate’ said: “Holiday elsewhere! The money rule shows how desperate they are for our cash.”
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And it seems as though Spain isn't a stranger to money-related rules.
Benidorm currently states that anyone swimming in the sea between midnight and 7am could be fined between €750 and €1,200 (£641 to £1,026), although this is probably concerning safety which we can definitely get behind.
Mia Williams