Read moreJosé Luis Zoreda, vice-president of the tourist association Exceltur, said tourist activity in Catalonia had fallen by 15% in the weeks following the referendum compared to the same period last year. Catalonia welcomed about 18 million visitors last year, and tourism accounts for about 12% of the region’s GDP, with industry and trade as the other main contributors. More than 400,000 people in Catalonia depend on the tourist industry for employment. Meliá has eight hotels in Catalonia, five in Barcelona, and saw reservations fall by 4% after 1 October. “Over the past two weeks bookings have been down 30-40% and people have been cancelling right through to January,” the restaurant owner said.

Source: The Guardian October 20, 2017 04:01 UTC