Warning to anyone with holidays booked for Spain, Portugal and Germany

Travellers looking to visit European destinations are being warned that they could face possible disruption this summer. 

Experts are predicting 2023 to be the most popular for holidaymakers in years, as the UK has scrapped the majority of its coronavirus travel restrictions. However, holidaymakers should be wary about a number of other issues that could disrupt any future trips – particularly if you’re looking to visit a popular European destination.

The Liverpool Echo recently compiled a round up of the issues that could impact holidays to three European hotspots:

Germany

Thousands of flights to and from German airports are being cancelled as workers walk out amid increased demands for better pay. The strikes at seven German airports, including Frankfurt, Munich and Hamburg, affected almost 300,000 passengers and forced airlines to cancel more than 2,300 flights – including those with easyJet, British Airways and TUI.

Christine Behle of the Verdi labour union told public broadcaster RBB-Inforadio that failure to reach a meaningful deal with employers on pay could result in a “summer of chaos” at German airports.

Spain

A number of popular destinations in Spain have announced plans to limit the number of tourists visiting the region. According to Mirror Online, Barcelona’s Mayor, Ada Colau, said this week she aims to cut the number of cruise ships visiting Barcelona.

The official has already introduced a series of restrictions to prevent more tourists visiting, including restricting the number of hotel beds and new hotels in the city. Mayor Colau also pushed for plans to expand the airport to be scrapped.

Barcelona joins Majorca, Menorca and Ibiza as the popular destinations drawing up plans to limit the number of holidaymakers visiting their regions.

Portugal

The popular destination is set to crackdown on the number of Airbnbs in major cities such as Lisbon in order to address the country’s housing crisis. Mirror Online report that Prime Minister Antonio Costa has announced a raft of measures to calm down the country’s housing market.

There will be no new licenses for Airbnbs and other holiday lets and the only exception will be for rural areas “without urban pressure”. This may mean there is a not as many places to book your stay while holidaying in Portugal.