If you are off to Spain on holiday you may have to wait until you get there in order to have a drink. Fed up with having to deal with drunken passengers Spanish authorities are calling for a ban on the sale of alcohol at airports and on flights.
Leaders in the tourism industry say that “courage and ambition” are required in order to tackle what they call “drunken tourism” a mindset that says you have to be drunk in order to have a good time while on holiday.
At a recent tourism conference held in Mallorca, a hotspot for drunken behaviour it was suggested that a crackdown could start with passengers not having to walk through Duty-Free shops on the way to their departure gates.
While speaking to the Spanish press Chief Inspector of the National Police José María Manso said: “Alcohol should be banned on flights and at airports, the only thing you see is selling and selling more alcohol at Palma airport, it’s a shopping centre where alcohol and more alcohol are sold.”
One representative from a UK airport said: “The key is prevention, preventing these passengers from getting on the plane” and even drinking in establishments where alcohol is sold.”
A police chief even went so far as to compare an alcohol ban to that of not being able to smoke saying: “People can’t light up for three hours when flying from the UK to Spain so why do they have to drink? What are we waiting for?”
These new proposals follow on the footsteps of budget airline Ryanair calling for a drinking ban at airports.
The low-cost carrier is proposing that airports are not allowed to serve alcohol before 10am in the morning.
Another proposal is to limit passengers to 2 drinks by scanning their boarding passes.
Currently, airports are exempt from the licencing act which means they can sell and serve alcohol any time of the day.
A statement from Ryanair said: “Ryanair’s number one priority is the safety of our customers, crew and aircraft and we have a zero-tolerance policy towards alcohol and disruptive behaviour.”
John says:
However, Spanish authorities allow drunken behaviour from vagrants, who are not tourists, in many of the most beautiful plazas and viewpoints visited by coachloads of sober tourists.
Frank says:
Yes, in one of the most beautiful spots in Nerja. We have informed the politicians who informed the police who informed us in writing that they do what they can.