The Chamber of Commerce welcomes the recent announcements that the government has made regarding new air links to the UK and to Morocco.

The addition of the Gibraltar-Bristol route promises to open up additional markets for visitors, both business people and tourists, from Wales and the south west of England. Hitherto these visitors either had to make the long trek to the airports near London or to Birmingham or perhaps they never considered Gibraltar as a convenient destination.

Similarly, re-establishing the first air link between Gibraltar and Tangier in decades is another welcome development. Morocco is today considerably more developed and the opportunities for business and increased tourism have advanced significantly in recent years. Similarly, the spending power of Moroccan nationals has increased and with the new visa scheme introduced earlier this year Gibraltar offers an attractive short break destination for tourism and shopping.

It is hoped that both of these new routes will develop successfully over time so that they bring more visitors to experience the rich, unique and varied delights which Gibraltar offers.

The Chamber congratulates Minister Costa and his team at the Gibraltar Tourist Board and all those who have been instrumental in making these new routes a reality.