The consequences of the diplomatic crisis between Algeria and Spain were not limited to the energy sector, but also affected two important sectors of the Spanish economy, according to a report published by the Spanish newspaper El Mundo.
And she saidElmondoThe crisis affected the ceramics and tourism sectors after Algeria suspended the Friendship Treaty on June 8 in the context of the reaction to the decision of the government of Pedro Sánchez to support the Moroccan plan for the autonomy of the Sahara.
According to Fernando Fabra, president of the National Association of Ceramics, the Spanish ceramic sector has lost 25 million euros.
Industry professionals did not export their products for 50 days, which deprived them of business worth up to 120 million euros, which was estimated from deals with Algeria.
Although the Association of Algerian Banks has lifted the ban on dealing with Spain, the Algerian government has not publicly supported the decision, which worries Spanish professionals who fear their goods will get stuck in Algerian ports.
Fabra hopes to “resolve the situation through the internal pressure exerted by the Algerian industry… We know that there are already shutdown plants because they need our materials and do not reach them… But in order to export again, we must first be sure.”
The newspaper said the tourism sector has also been hit by the Algeria crisis, with the Valencia region being the region most affected, with tourism from Algeria making up an important part of the domestic gross domestic product.
According to the newspaper, Algerian tourism declined in 2020 and 2021 due to the epidemic, with the number of Algerian tourists barely reaching 70,000 visitors across the country, a far cry from the 331,000 who visited Spain in 2019.
Following the recovery of tourism from Algeria after the Covid crisis, a diplomatic crisis led to a re-escalation of the situation after Algerian travel agencies banned their relations with Spain.
Source: Spanish newspaper El Mundo.