Last week, Together Gibraltar met with the Gibraltar Chamber of Commerce to discuss their recently launched Tourism Manifesto.

A statement from Together Gibraltar follows below:

Transport remains an incredibly heated topic but one which TG believes is the central issue holding back tourism and business in Gibraltar. We are pleased to hear about the private investment being made by MH Bland into a new cable car and will keep pushing for more transport options, including the Chamber’s suggestion of an upper rock service linked to the existing bus network.

Congestion at the upper rock continues to be a major problem, creating negative experiences for tourists. The incredibly lax attitude towards the upper rock in general has left many areas derelict and devoid of experiences or services through which tourists could contribute to the economy. Gibraltar still gets a huge volume of tourists every year. But because of this lack of experiences, most of them aren’t really bringing much into the economy. We have to offer much more than a whizz-bang tour and a photo of the monkeys.

The groups discussed the existing duty free shop at the cruise terminal which has dissuaded cruise passengers from coming into town. The party states that this points to a bigger problem which is the lack of artisanal or unique products to get people to the high street.
“With our wealth of history, culture, talented artists, and our distinctive local cuisine, Gibraltar’s high street should be a spender’s paradise,” said TG Tourism spokesperson, Jean Paul Lugaro.

“It’s honestly maddening, as someone who loves Gibraltar, to see that tourists are not getting much out of Main Street that they couldn’t get from a departure lounge”.

Lugaro thanked the Chamber for their time and reaffirmed his commitment to advocating for tourism as a central pillar of Gibraltar’s economy.

“Tourism is one of the few industries where we can be truly self-sufficient, without foreign companies. We need to take an ambitious approach to building the Gibraltar we want to see, without excuses about departmental responsibilities. Transport, the Upper Rock, litter, signage – these are all areas we need to address.”

TG looks forward to working with the Chamber, businesses, and community organisations to make Gibraltar the thriving, sustainable economy it has the potential to be. We encourage everyone to put forward their own ideas for improving Gibraltar’s tourist product and to read the Chamber’s Tourism Manifesto.