01 Tourism Cover:Statesman supplements 18/11/2013 17:15 Page 1

Rock solid investment Gibraltar: tourism, property, travel

Sponsored by HM 02-Infographics:Statesman supplements 19/11/2013 11:55 Page 22

FACTS & FIGURES

Sources: Gibraltar Tourist Board, Gibraltar Taxi Association.

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CONTENTS

New Statesman 7th Floor John Carpenter House John Carpenter Street London EC4Y 0AN Tel 020 7936 6400 Fax 020 7936 6501 [email protected] Subscription enquiries, reprints and syndication rights: Stephen Brasher sbrasher@ newstatesman.co.uk 0800 731 8496 The tourism and transport minister’s view P4 Supplement Editor Guy Clapperton Design & Production Leon Parks Graphics Naomi Ashworth

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Tourism afloat P14 Bricks and mortar P8 More than a day break Gibraltar is a great place for a day trip. That’s an entrepreneur in the leisure industry, to how a lot of people treat the peninsula; they make some hard cash. Themes have so far visit Spain or and travel there during included chess, jazz, literature and much else. daylight hours. Infrastructure is certainly an issue, but the Inevitably, they bring a heavy footfall to the territory is making progress with government jurisdiction and the Gibraltar Tourist Board is support, as MP explains. There is happy to see them – but it’s keen to make people nightlife, accommodation, a new luxury stay on for everything else that’s going on. floating hotel, and of course the luxury There is architecture, history and culture. shopping is well known. There is an opportunity to buy property, and Gibraltar is still a great place to go and have the longest-established estate agent on the your picture taken with an ape. But there is a lot Rock explores that market. There are specific more happening, though – as we hope readers event-led opportunities to visit and, if you’re will understand. l This supplement, and other policy reports, can be downloaded from the NS website at newstatesman.com/supplements ARTICLES First published as a supplement to the New Statesman 22-28 November 2013. 4 Building on success © New Statesman Ltd. All rights Gibraltar wants more than day trippers, says Neil Costa MP reserved. Registered as a newspaper in the UK and USA. 7 Property on the Rock The paper in this magazine Bricks and mortar retain value in Gib, says Solomon Levy originates from timber that is 10 Getting around sourced from sustainable forests, responsibly managed The infrastructure is solid but needs some improvement, says Bob Pugh to strict environmental, social 12 Taken by events and economic standards. The manufacturing mills have Centering visits around events pays dividends, says F Oliva both FSC and PEFC 14 Hotel ahoy! certification and also ISO9001 The new luxury facility on the Rock will have a major difference COVER DESIGN PARKS LEON BY COVER and ISO14001 accreditation.

18-24 NOVEMBER 2013 | NEW STATESMAN | 3 4-8 Tourism Gibraltar Interview:Statesman supplements 18/11/2013 17:27 Page 4

GOVERNMENT VIEW Tourist Gibraltar: works in progress

by Guy Clapperton

Tourism in Gibraltar is growing but not fast enough for the Gibraltar Tourist Board. They want people to come for more than a day and stay for the heritage and culture

eil Costa is a man with things on his succeeds, there will be many pickings for quite a mixed profile of visitor and they mind. He is tourism and transport people with the right business ideas. each require a different strategy and dif- Nminister in Gibraltar – to give him “We have to develop our visitor pro- ferent marketing.” his full title he is the Hon. Neil Costa MP file,” confirms Guerrero. “The majority of So if there are that many visitors on a (one of his predecessors was named Holi- our visitors come for the day across the Rock some six square kilometres in area, day, and yes of course they’ve heard all the border. A lot of them will be people who why does the profile need building? “We gags); youthful, energetic and liaising are already holidaying in the areas around are trying to attract more people to stay closely with the jurisdiction’s Tourist Gib, and we also have people from ships. overnight, from the UK market and other Board. The board’s chief executive, Nicky There are 180 visits scheduled to Gibraltar markets in Europe,” says Guerrero. “The Guerrero, is equally occupied. from cruise ships, and the ships are getting UK remains a core market and will do so It’s a tiny peninsula so nobody works bigger,” he adds. Some ships will have up for the foreseeable future. This isn’t just that far from anybody else. But, along with because of the obvious connection of Gib a lot of other officials, the two men work being British by history, but air connec- from Europort, the large concrete and ar- A shipful of visitors can tions are well established. Brits can be guably faceless building towards the south mean a 10 per cent boost there in two or three hours, which adds to of the Rock. It is, of course, their job to per- the ‘day trip’ nature of the destination. suade incoming tourists that the territory to the population This is something the Gibraltar Tourist itself is anything but faceless. In fact, Costa Board, along with the chief minister, Fa- has a particular subset of this aim in mind; to 3,000 passengers on board. That’s ef- bien Picardo, find frustrating. he wants to turn people away from simply fectively a 10 per cent boost to the popula- This doesn’t mean the day trippers staying one night (if they stay that long, tion, in a single day – except one day this aren’t welcome, stresses Costa. “We’re the Rock’s well known for attracting day year they had four ships in one day. not dismissing those at all, they do pro- trippers) and encourage them to take a As well as people visiting Gib as a vide sound economic activity. But what longer stay. He is also determined to at- destination in its own right, a large num- we’d prefer for Gibraltar is a weekenders’ tract visitors from territories who haven’t ber use it as a transit point, says Guerrero. break.” This happens already, but the in- previously been in the habit of sending “They come to us and use our airports be- habitants would clearly like to see more. many tourists over. The opportunity for cause they prefer it to the ones in the sur- Guerrero concedes that the typical image the right entrepreneurs will be clear – if he rounding areas,” he says. “So we have of a visit is of a trip that lasts a couple of

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importantly they have different themes. “There’s your standard Rock tour,” says Guerrero, “but there are other sights. There’s very beautiful architecture; you’re tempted to look at eye level and see the shops when you walk down the streets, but you miss a lot if you don’t look up.” Ironically, for a place that has been un- der UK jurisdiction for 300 years, the tourism people are now starting to market the place as “undiscovered”. Guerrero says that when the government hosts meetings, and attendees spend the night, they end up finding themselves enjoying it perhaps more than they had expected and agreeing it’s a great destination. “You mustn’t ignore our unique geographical location,” he adds. “There aren’t many places where you can stand on a 400ft peak and look out at three countries span- ning two continents.” Of course, you can see Spain, but on a clear day you can make out the African coast as well. People want- ing to explore it further will find it’s a ride away. If it all sounds a little too convenient to be true, then it probably is – at the mo- ment. Costa concedes that as well as mar- keting the Rock, which has many benefits, Neil Costa MP there is a need to improve connectivity, infrastructure and links with other terri- hours, a bit of shopping, see the apes and weather is fine, but the beaches are small tories. “We are working daily on sustain- out. “Whereas in the past, people might and the locals tend to descend on them, able connectivity to Spain,” he says. have come for a day to shop, what we’re reasonably enough, and fill them up when “Unfortunately there were two airlines, aiming to do, once they’re here, is to entice they get the chance. “Of course, there’s and , which had them again,” explains Costa. “So while space for tourists, but if 3,000 of them de- aircraft that were just too big so they were we’re continuing to promote Gibraltar scended on the beaches, there wouldn’t be only ever half full. Had they had a smaller internationally, through trade fairs or one- for long,” comments Costa. aircraft they would have been full, but to-one meetings with cruise line execu- The current administration has con- because they used the 320 and 390 it just tives, airline executives, tour operators in tinued its predecessor’s work in develop- wasn’t sustainable.” The timing of the the UK and so on, there has been less work ing infrastructure for overnighters. A flights wasn’t right either, he suggests: “It in the past on converting the day tripper leisure development called Ocean Village should have been a huge success story into a tourist.” for Gibraltar, but it wasn’t properly Naturally they’re biased, but the minis- analysed.” The government now believes ter and the chief executive believe there is Stand on a peak and it has worked out the right formula in a lot more to see if they stay than many see three countries terms of aircraft size and times of day for people realise. The heritage and the cul- travel, but as the earlier experiment failed, ture are notable, and a lot has been on two continents it has been difficult to persuade a new op- achieved through event-led tourism. The erator to come in. previous administration began this and is now up and running. This includes bars, Sustainable connectivity to Spain re- Costa is happy to give them credit; it’s a restaurants and nightlife, as does the mains a goal – even as conflict on the bor- ball the current government has been nearby Casemates, a square at the end of der flares up every few years – as does con- keen to pick up and run with (for more on the main street. “There’s a lively night life nection to Morocco. “If people can fly event-led tourism, see page 12). The idea is to complement the heritage and the his- from Madrid or Morocco to Gibraltar, they to get people visiting and staying when tory, so we’re actively promoting Gibral- will come either as tourists or business there is no sun – not as infrequent in tar as that,” says Costa. travellers. There was an occasion recently Gibraltar as it is in the UK, but there are Another area in which the jurisdiction is when I flew from London to Gibraltar and colder months. Also, there is a difficulty in developing is the extension of the classic the front of the bus, the business class

selling the Rock as a sun destination; the tour. There are more of them but more seats, were up to row 13.” Replicating t

22–28 NOVEMBER 2013 | NEW STATESMAN | 5 BV Homes Advertorial:Statesman supplements 11/12/2013 4:26 PM Page 22

COMING SOON

Buena Vista Park Villas launches the final phase of its outstanding luxury private gated development in the South district of Gibraltar

Buena Vista Barracks, the unique and stunning stone block building that sits proudly on the top of the cliff with unrivalled views across the bay and straits of Gibraltar, is being renovated and converted into a Luxury Residence with extensive grounds. There will also be a further six plots for large Bespoke Villas. Completed Villas in the second phase will start from around £4.5 million.

The first phase has been a huge success acre of land which provides for an extensive house entry – all to the owner’s specific due to custom design and unique position. private garden. The ceilings are approx 5 requirements. The views across the Bay and Straits of metres high, the stone walls are a metre Gibraltar are unrivalled and the location of thick and provide the framework and Gibraltar is a seriously good “low tax Buena Vista Park Villas in the South District structure for a truly magnificent mansion. jurisdiction”, arguably the most attractive of Gibraltar means that it benefits from blue Work will start on the building at the within the EU. There are now extremely sky and sunshine virtually every day, even beginning of 2014 and any purchaser will attractive properties in Gibraltar at when the Levante cloud covers the middle be encouraged to liaise with the developer’s significantly lower prices than Singapore, of the Rock. architects to create an internal design Switzerland, Hong Kong and Monaco for and landscape gardens worthy of such example. There is, however, much more The second phase consists of one large an impressive property. to Gibraltar than just low tax and stunning stone block building that was previously the properties: it is a safe place to live and the Buena Vista Barracks and dates back to the The six large bespoke villas will be custom economy is booming. Local schools, 18th Century and 6 large bespoke villas. designed and will be approx 450 m2 restaurants and bars are flourishing and internally, with gardens and pools on 500 the playgrounds of Andalusia’s golf courses The stone block will be restored to its square metre plots. All the Villas, as with and the cosmopolitan Puerto Banus are former glory externally and completely Phase 1, will be equipped with just over the border in Spain. If you need renovated and modernised internally with sophisticated home automation systems or want to travel further afield then approximately 2,000 m2 of internal space. which control lighting scenes, audio, video, Gibraltar’s new International airport Unlike virtually any other property in room temperature, hot water, window provides an increasing number of Gibraltar, the building is situated in an blinds, security cameras, alarm, gates and direct flight destinations. BV Homes Advertorial:Statesman supplements 11/12/2013 4:26 PM Page 23

For more information on Buena Vista Park Villas contact:

ROBERT MARTIN [email protected] +350 200 65825 4-8 Tourism Gibraltar Interview:Statesman supplements 18/11/2013 17:27 Page 8

GOVERNMENT VIEW

When you look at the statistics, though, it doesn’t seem to be doing as well.” This is because the stats compiled by the hoteliers offer a general, average figure of occu- pancy while the individual establish- ments can do spectacularly well. There will be a need for increased capac- ity and it’s on the way. A new luxury yacht hotel, the Sunborn, has opened at Ocean Village with 189 rooms; these are VVIP rooms, five star-plus luxury, aiming at a particularly affluent market. The Gibraltar Tourist Board is also in discussion with one hotel operator for additional prem- ises; it can’t name the operator at the mo- ment, but you get the feeling there’s an- other hotel on the way. “We are working to have another four-star business hotel,” confirms Costa. It is clear that the Rock needs more beds if the push for more overnight tourists is a success. It will also need to give some thought to the environment – 3,000 peo- ple traipsing about the Rock from a ship is one thing; amplify that if they start to stay overnight, overlap with each other and get Incoming cruise ships can contain 3,000 people augmented by Moroccans, Russians and others and you could have a serious issue.

t this to Madrid would link another major sanctioned tour operators under stringent Costa has been working with Dr John hub to Gib, he believes. “Any properly conditions, and they can bring in Russian Cortes, the minister for the environment, sized aircraft at the right time would be nationals for a day under a visa-waiver on a sustainable transport plan for the up- full.” Conversations with operators in scheme. We’ve had thousands of Russians per rock. Spain and Morocco are ongoing. who’ve spent thousands of euros in Spain, “Right now, taxis and tour operators There has been legislative change under coming to Gibraltar just for a day.” The take tourists who arrive by sea, air or land the current administration to help. aim is ultimately to enact the same travel to the upper rock and at times there is con- Around Easter this year, Moroccans were rights to Russians as Moroccans are gestion,” he says. “We’re looking at how allowed to apply for tourist visas to allow currently enjoying, he says. “That is in we can decongest the area first for reasons them to come to Gibraltar for up to 14 the pipeline. Some of these things take a that are environmental, but also because days, and 1,200 had visited by September. while because we have to talk to the UK we want tourists who go there to have a These were Costa’s idea of proper tourists, about foreign affairs issues, but it’s only a great time.” Add the possible queue to get people who come to stay and spend matter of time.” in at the border, depending on relations money rather than have a snapshot taken with Spain at the time, and the disincen- with a Barbary ape (not that he wants peo- tive to return could be substantial. The ple to miss this, either). There are affluent Thousands of Russians ministers are working with the various in- people in Morocco who want to spend spending thousands in terest groups in the territory to arrive at a money on luxury European goods, he mutually acceptable solution. says, and Gibraltar wants to welcome Spain visit for a day None of this should be taken to mean them. There is another advantage of mar- that the day trippers are unwelcome. keting to Morocco of course: Gibraltar The welcome and the effort to get peo- Costa, Guerrero and their team want to doesn’t get involved in territorial disputes ple into the country is beyond doubt; if expand, not replace the existing tourist in- with Morocco, whereas relations with they all turn up, though, the infrastruc- dustry. If they succeed, then the chances Spain tell a different story. ture (Ocean Village and Casemates are very good that the existing underpin- Morocco isn’t the only country to find notwithstanding) will need to be recon- nings will become unsustainable quite its people increasingly welcome in sidered. There are enough hotels for the quickly. Clearly the administration hopes Gibraltar. The government has introduced moment, Costa believes. “The statistics to address the infrastructure before it be- a visa-waiver scheme for Russian nation- can give a very misleading impression. I go comes an issue. There are a lot of balls in als. “Russian nationals love Marbella, to one hotel every weekend to hide, a sort the air at the moment; if they all come it’s a prime spot for a holiday and second- of second office to do work where nobody down in the right order and soon, the re-

home buying,” explains Costa. “So we’ve will come and see me, and it’s always full. sults should be very positive. SHUTTERSTOCK

8 | NEW STATESMAN | 22–28 NOVEMBER 2013 9 Property on the rock:Statesman supplements 18/11/2013 17:28 Page 4

REAL ESTATE Property on the Rock

by Solomon Levy FRICS

Gibraltar has been largely unaffected by the world economic slump – and this is reflected in property prices. The Rock’s longest-established estate agent takes a hard look at the market realities for incoming residents

ibraltar has long been a favourite and the price can go up to £3.5m. There spot for people, mainly from the aren’t many of these, but when one comes UK, to purchase properties to re- to the market, it is sold without difficulty. side in, for tax purposes, or as a At present, there is a plan to build around Gholiday home. Flats normally 12 villas of a very high standard. But in start at ; houses are priced at around £3.5m. terms of development, there are no plans themselves normally pay for new blocks of flats. between £175,000-£300,000. Those who Of course, another reason people are want to buy here for tax purposes are attracted to Gibraltar is the weather. The willing to pay up to £500,000; in some climate is temperate all the year round be- cases, the flat is not inhabited but simply cause of the Mediterranean setting. While provides an address, although by law they flats have central heating and air condition- are supposed to be lived in for 90 days ing, it is the air conditioning that tends to a year. get more exercise. Electricity and water Prices are high in Gibraltar because it is a charges are high in Gibraltar in comparison secure investment. Furthermore, when to the UK, and normal monthly accounts you purchase a flat in Gibraltar, you know can vary between £200-£350 for both . The what taxes and rates you are going to rates are low, unlike the rates for commer- pay from the very beginning and are not, cial premises which are high. all of a sudden, asked to pay an extra tax Reaching Gibraltar from the UK remains as is commonly done sometimes in easy, as British Airways, Monarch Airlines Spain – although there has been a world and easyJet come here. We have around economic crisis, Gibraltar has not been Property: investment in Gibraltar is robust due to a three flights coming in every day from much affected. consistent economy London and also flights from Manchester. Flats on the market normally consist of The normal London flight to Gibraltar is two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a living minimum of six months; a longer lease can around 2 ½ hours. room and kitchen with balconies, and be given with a rent review either every Because there aren’t any new blocks of parking spaces. They are situated in differ- year or every three years. flats being built, flats tend to maintain their ent parts of Gibraltar. Normally, they are On the Rock, there are several building value, although with the present economic sold on a 99- or 150-year lease. Freehold societies such as Newcastle Building Soci- crunch, prices may come down. As the property for sale is likely to be a block of ety and the Leeds Building Society and longest-serving estate agent in Gibraltar flats or flats with commercial premises. they offer mortgages at the same rates as for 53 years, we have found it interesting to In Gibraltar, there is a big demand for they do in the UK. Now and then, detached note how prices have risen and yet the de- rental properties and these cost from houses come on the market consisting of mand has been sustained. between £850-£3,500 per month, inclu- four bedrooms, three bathrooms, a large You could, in fact, say that buying a sive of rates but exclusive of electricity and living room with balconies, study and property here is an investment as secure as water. When flats are let, this is for a kitchen, with two or three spare rooms, the .

22-28 NOVEMBER 2013 | NEW STATESMAN | 9 10-11 Getting around Gibraltar:Statesman supplements 18/11/2013 17:30 Page 22

LOGISTICS Getting around Gibraltar

by Bob Pugh

Gibraltar, situated at the southern tip of the , is home to 30,000 Gibraltarians. It is also one of the most popular destinations for tourists coming over from Andalucia and has unique transport challenges

nybody travelling to Gibraltar needs minibus tour operators come into the pic- drivers would cover the city and airport transport of some sort to see the ture. With 112 taxi licenses and some 60 area, taking it in turns to do a week at a A Rock in all its glory. mini coaches on the Rock, there is ample time. This, unfortunately, still did not Being in Gibraltar as a tourist, one needs transport to carry tourists and visitors to work properly, as some of the taxi drivers to be able to visit the sites that are offered the upper Rock who were on city service would not show by the Gibraltar Tourist Board. These in- The taxi service in Gibraltar has come up for work and use the week of city serv- clude all the sites on the upper Rock such under some criticism in recent years, with ice as a week off . as St Michael’s Cave, the Galleries, the travellers arriving at Gibraltar airport and The taxi association, with government World War Two Tunnels, O’Hara’s Bat- finding no taxis to take them to their desti- help, introduced a new kind of meter with tery and, of course, the famous Gibraltar nation. Some of the local residents, too, a GPS system on it allowing the associa- apes. On the lower part of the rock, there have been unable to find a taxi to take tion a much faster response system for are sites such as of Gibraltar radio calls; it also it allowed the associa- (directly opposite the northern coast of tion to monitor the vehicles, enabling Africa) and the 100-ton gun, and points of A taxi meter system with them to see if those that were being used interest within the town such as the mu- GPS ensures the drivers for the city service were, in fact, working seum and the cathedrals. or not. Although Gibraltar is only approxi- are working With the new meter and the introduc- mately six square kilometres, there are tion of transport inspectors by the govern- several ways one can travel around the them home. Behind this is the idea that ment to checked the system, the taxi asso- peninsula. There is an excellent public bus some drivers have only been interested in ciation were able to monitor their taxis service covering the lower area of the Rock hiring their taxi to tourists who want a better. This made the improvement to the which gives tourists and local people a tour – thus instead of being a taxi service, taxi service a huge success, and there are very easy system of getting from A to B at they become a mini tour bus. An agree- taxis now servicing both the airport and very reasonable prices. One of the reasons ment between the Gibraltar Taxi Associa- the city on a regular basis. these buses don’t service the upper Rock is tion and its drivers brought in a system in Gibraltar is a very popular destination that they are too big for the small winding which a certain number of taxis would be for tourists arriving from the surrounding roads there. Thus this is where the taxi and put only on city service each week, These areas of the Costa del Sol and Costa de la

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Gibraltar: efforts are ongoing to improve the infrastructure

Luz. With excursions arriving daily, visors who oversee the tours leaving the recently Spain stopped the import of rocks Gibraltar’s tour operators ferry the coach park or the cruise terminal as most and sand needed in Gibraltar for the recla- tourists to their destinations whether it be coaches, once they drop their passengers, mation of land and beaches, so Gibraltar a transfer from A to B or a tour of the Rock. then go back to the coach park or cruise had to arrange for these items to As one can imagine, with the arrival of a terminal and load up for the next trip. be brought in by sea from Portugal. This cruise liner or two into the port of Gibral- Thus any delays cause a huge backlog for is just one of the problems that the tar carrying around 3,000 passengers, the next group of passengers. commercial transporters have to face with plus around 60 large tour coaches in the With the increase of tourism in Gibral- the Spanish authorities at the frontier. coach park, it can be quite a difficult job to tar, the local government is looking for a Gibraltar hopes these problems will move all these passengers around, but it solution to congestion in the upper Rock disappear and normality will return in does get done. Many companies operating during peak season, and is discussing the future. in Gibraltar have done so for many genera- ways forward with local operators. Sev- Overall, , whether tions, so the expertise is well established. eral ideas have been considered, but as yet, it is for the tourist, the local community or Gibraltar has an elaborate system of no agreement has been reached. It is commercial businessman, is adequate for pre- booking for groups arriving on a daily hoped that in the very near future a solu- today and into the near future. basis so the firm know how many clients tion will be found One thing the government of Gibraltar will arrive on the day in question. This One problem Gibraltar suffers from is needs to look at, however, is the state of enables the companies to prepare enough supplying its day-to-day needs for retail the road surfaces, particularly in the south. mini- coaches to carry those clients on businesses. Gibraltar imports most of its There has been a lot work carried out on their tours. goods from other countries, which come underground cables and water piping, However, one obstacle drivers en- overland to this southern destination. which always leaves the road surfaces counter on the upper Rock, on regular ba- This means that all the lorries arriving open to damage due the quantity of vehi- sis, during the summer months are traffic here have to pass through the Spanish cles passing to Europa Point. This makes jams on the roads and the lack of parking customs of La Linea. the road very uncomfortable to travel over spaces. This can be a big problem for driv- With the situation with Spain as it is time, so resurfacing the area would be a ers trying to navigate their coaches to the today, this can sometimes cause difficul- great asset. different sites. This also affects the super- ties in executing these operations. Just Bob Pugh is general manager, SGML

22–28 NOVEMBER 2013 | NEW STATESMAN | 11 12-13 Event led Tourism:Statesman supplements 18/11/2013 17:31 Page 22

EVENTS The Next Event: from chess to jazz

by F Oliva, Press Officer, Gibraltar Tourist Board

So how do you get people to visit your country in the low months for tourism? You launch a chess festival, a jazz festival, a literary festival, and they come...

vent-led tourism is the new buzz- ing constellation of big-name chart-top- discerning musical tastes. For instance, as word. Rock concerts, food festivals, ping artists and musicians from Britain witnessed with the Gib Telecom-spon- Ebook fairs, outdoor military parades, and Spain descend upon Gibraltar, to the sored Gibraltar Jazz Festival, a labour of sporting competitions – all have been spo- wholehearted appreciation of jubilant love of a small group of dedicated local ken about in Gibraltar and have been a part crowds at the annual government spon- musicians, now in its second year, this has of the strategies adopted by sored Mega Concert; celebrations of local attracted an array of talented performers. local tourism planners for decades. How- cuisine, where natives and visitors alike Some are home-grown, but others are ever, in the past two years, the Rock has have mingled indiscriminately in a hotch- from further afield, including “Gibraltar- collectively embraced the concept with a potch of interaction and exotic flavours at ian in Brooklyn” Elie Massias and the crit- renewed energy and enthusiasm that has the Calentita Night; and an international ically acclaimed Juan Galiardo from neigh- exceeded all prior expectations. This has chess competition, the Tradewise Gibral- bouring San Roque. Both are repeating the marked a quantum leap in terms of what tar Chess Festival, which has grown expo- experience of the inaugural year, joining has been achieved, the money invested, nentially in the past decade to become one the headliner and musical guru Jools Hol- and the efforts undertaken to date. of the top events of its nature attracting land and his Rhythm and Blues Orchestra The change of mindset has been put into some of the leading grandmasters of this on the bill. motion by the new administration’s con- exacting game. Without forgetting the regular pro- scious decision to revamp and develop an gramme of classical music concerts existing policy, taking it to an altogether organised by the Gibraltar Philharmonic grander and more ambitious level. Th8is Event-led tourism Society which recently included a breath- move has been applauded by many and caters for a broad taking performance by the Halberg eagerly greeted by the youth of Gibraltar String Quartet in the stately setting of The which has been at the forefront with their range of tastes Convent Ballroom – the historical resi- keen support and participation in the dence of the military governor for three many exciting initiatives and projects that Not only is Gibraltar providing much centuries – one of the Rock’s truly impres- have come to fruition in this period. appreciated leisure opportunities for the sive artistic venues worthy of admiration The dual rationale behind this is quite community at large, but at the same time it in its own right. simple: organise a first-class event that is promoting itself as an attractive tourist The next top-tier highlight coming up will appeal to the general public who can destination through the successful mar- and aptly described as the flagship of the always be relied upon to respond posi- keting of these events and increasing event-led tourism concept, is the first ever tively to quality entertainment right on tourist visits and hotel occupancy rates by Gibraltar International Literary Festival their doorstep, and by so doing, be assured healthy percentages year on year. from 25-27 October, which will bring to- that visitors to Gibraltar will find the ex- The beauty of the concept is that event- gether some of the most distinguished perience engaging enough to want to start led tourism is a flexible, one-size-fits-all authors of the literary world to share their booking a return to the Rock as soon as construct which also caters for a broad innermost thoughts, talk about their work they arrive back home. range of tastes and sensitivities – from the and lives, alongside eminent historians In recent times, we have seen a glitter- popular, mainstream acts to the more and celebrity chefs who have earned a

12 | NEW STATESMAN | 22–28 NOVEMBER 2013 12-13 Event led Tourism:Statesman supplements 18/11/2013 17:31 Page 23

Gib chess comes of age

Competitive chess has become an inte- gral part of the Gibraltar government’s event-led tourism policy which has yielded positive results by way of an in- flux of visitors to the territory and ex- traordinary publicity in the interna- tional specialised press. In recent years, the Gibraltar Trade- wise Open Chess Festival, which at- tracts some of the leading grandmasters of this exacting sport, has gone from strength to strength to become one of the most important chess tournaments of its type in the world. Some of the greatest names in chess have competed in Gibraltar including legendary figures like Victor Korchnoi, who unsuccessfully challenged Anatoly Karpov for the world title twice, and Ju- dit Polgar, the best female player in his- tory. Among the British contingent are Nigel Short, who took the title on three occasions, and Michael Adams. The tournament was the brainchild of Brian Callaghan of the Themed events: delivering steady business for Gibraltar which has hosted the event since the first such event in 2003 and seen the tourna- solid professional reputation in the gas- Culture, endeavours on a daily basis, to ment develop from humble beginnings tronomic scene. The packed, varied pro- create and coordinate an idiosyncratic into a true international chess classic. gramme of public conferences will be cen- tourist offering which is a reflection of the The telecommunications company tralised at the famous , an Rock’s extraordinary appeal. A cocktail of has supported the chess fes- immaculately preserved remnant of a by- history and heritage, sprinkled with a tival since its inception and is responsi- gone era and an architectural jewel of the dash of sunshine and combined with a ble for developing the technological British colonial period. heterogeneous catalogue of premier and support and online live streaming that The literary festival, testament to the popular events encompassing all of the enabled the official tournament website community’s truly cosmopolitan essence, above, plus beer festivals, backgammon, to receive over a million hits last year. will be the culmination of the Rock’s international darts with the presence of “We have chess set at home, and my cultural calendar for 2013, but its appeal the legendary Phil Taylor, and a spectacu- son frequently wants to play,” said Dr transcends the purely local appetite for lar European strongman championships. Joseph Garcia, Gibraltar’s deputy chief an event of this magnitude. Great interest The result is a viable tourism model that minister. “In this electronic age, it is dif- has been shown in the UK press, which is provides a credible, affordable yet wholly ficult to get children to play chess. In my an invaluable ally in providing key productive blueprint for territories with family, we play occasionally. I am a very exposure for Gibraltar and in the promo- similar characteristics. low-level chess player, but I would en- tion of the tourist products that the Rock Gibraltar’s extraordinary potential as a courage them and encourage others. It is has to offer. destination with a unique tourist product a game of skill and strategy and forward It is the intention that this becomes a has been shrewdly harnessed in a manner thinking, very much like politics.” well-established annual gathering for that maximises our natural resources, to book lovers from Gibraltar and further offer an integrated range of services and afield, serving a twin purpose: providing a facilities. Against this background, the “The Culture Agency has prepared an prestigious and culturally enriching plat- concept of event-led tourism has fitted in extraordinary package of events over the form that at the same time enhances our perfectly and now constitutes a generator past 12 months, and tourism has exten- international reputation by association of value-added wealth in a key area of the sively benefited from this; it is the Gibral- with the type of events and activities we local economy. tar government’s intention to provide wish to be related to. Neil Costa MP, Gibraltar’s minister for even more exciting plans next year. We The Gibraltar Tourist Board, with the tourism, stated that Gibraltar is already just have to continue building on what we

SHUTTERSTOCK invaluable partnership of the Ministry for reaping the benefits of event-led tourism: have achieved to date.”

22–28 NOVEMBER 2013 | NEW STATESMAN | 13 14-15 Co-operation:Statesman supplements 18/11/2013 17:32 Page 22

CASE STUDY Accommodation Ahoy!

by Guy Clapperton

The opportunity for an upmarket hotel in Gibraltar seemed too good to miss – so Sunborn floated an idea

o, what do you do if you have an idea yacht in place next to Gibraltar’s Ocean There are four flights into and out of the and a location for a hotel, the market Village, but it would cost considerably Rock per day, but a lot of travellers, partic- Sopportunity appears clear and your more to try to buy the land for a hotel of ularly in the business market, end up demographic is hungry for it, but the ter- similar stature. Not that buying the land crossing the border into a Spanish hotel – ritory is too small and there may be envi- would be possible: “Gibraltar is six square spending their money on Spanish enter- ronmental considerations? The answer kilometres in size, so the land to build a tainment in the evening. The Gib econ- from Sunborn, a private company in Fin- facility like this simply wouldn’t be avail- omy is robust, but nobody can afford to land owned by the Niemi family, is sim- able,” says Niemi. This is also useful turn business over to the neighbours in ple – put it on a luxury yacht. when it wouldn’t be possible to build a quite this cavalier way. “According to offi- It’s this model that has led to the pres- fixed structure for other reasons: in cial figures, on arrival in Gibraltar, 61 per ence of the Sunborn Yacht Hotel, which Venice, for example, it would have been cent of visitors cross the border and sleep will open in early 2014. Entrepreneurs difficult if not impossible to build a hotel somewhere else,” says Niemi. “We’re will recognise a number of the business next to some of the major heritage build- aiming to do something about that.” drivers behind setting up in this way. The ings, and in St Petersburg, a modern The owners will be pitching the yacht company’s research suggested there were building next to the Hermitage would towards the event market – weddings and around a million hotels in the world, and bar mitzvahs, of course, but primarily to although quality can be very high, only a conferences. It will prosper if it is just the handful of them could be described as “We’re committed to UK that takes advantage of it; obviously “unique”; target a high-end customer Gibraltar, but the the owners hope nationals of other coun- base and add the notion of a luxury yacht tries will follow, but the UK’s direct travel and you automatically have a good fit. yacht is movable” links offer an obvious advantage. You also have the benefit of a totally This is why there has been such interest movable asset. “We’re completely com- have been difficult – if not downright un- from the MICE (Meeting Incentives Con- mitted to mooring off Gibraltar and desirable. Substantial luxury yachts over- ferences Exhibitions) industry, which in working there,” says Hans Niemi, execu- come these objections and make the in- the UK alone is worth £20m. “The chal- tive director of Sunborn. “But it’s reassur- vestment that bit more solid. On leaving a lenge had been that there was nowhere ing that if any of the territories in which territory, once the electricity and other for the MICE industry to hold its events,” we operate, from St Petersburg to Lon- service supplies are unplugged and un- says Niemi. “Sunborn Gibraltar will fulfil don, had a changing requirement, we plumbed, there is no residual environ- that. Almost purely as a result of last could change to a different yacht.” He mental footprint. July’s Meetings Show UK, we attracted stresses that his market research suggests several million pounds-worth of corpo- this won’t be necessary. Incoming rate inquiries in just five weeks, which Movable feasts like this have other ad- Sunborn believes the yacht hotel will ap- bodes very well for Gibraltar plc.” There vantages as well. They can be put up peal to a demographic that’s already visit- will, of course, be corporate deals on offer when land would otherwise be unafford- ing Gibraltar but which isn’t staying there – the headline price will be more expen- able. It’s no small expense to put a luxury as much as the Tourist Board would like. sive than local hotels, but the managers

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maintain value will be at least equivalent. The financials should add up not only for conferences requiring accommoda- tion, but for day-tripping conferences as well – you leave the UK in the early morn- ing, have a conference on the Med, come back in the evening and the investors will be pleased enough. This is why, whereas most hotels budget their business plans on 20 per cent income coming from con- ferences, Sunborn’s dedication to MICE is going to be significantly higher. Zero VAT makes the pricing structure simple and the mooted return of to North Africa will improve the appeal of the peninsula as a destination overall. No matter what the Gibraltar Tourist Board and tourism minister manage by way of appealing to visitors to stop longer than a day, Gibraltar currently has an in- built ceiling. Fill 650 beds and you have no hotel space left. Sunborn will not only add the first five-star accommodation to the territory, but it will increase the total accommodation available by 31 per cent. It is to be hoped that changes to transport and other logistics discussed elsewhere in this supplement will keep pace. Beds on board: accommodation in Gibraltar will be increased by 31 per cent

comprised the Gibraltar Information Bu- finance, it had as its brief to become a one- The UK Gibraltar reau and two leading tour operators of stop shop to sell everything Gibraltarian Tourism Association the time: Gibraltar Travel and Cadogan to a wider public. “It was racked in over Travel. Gary David, managing director of 10,000 of the UK’s travel agents and was by Albert Poggio OBE Cadogan Travel was the chair, and the widely applauded by agents and public,” permanent secretary, who is still in- says Poggio. The brochure was overtaken Anyone wanting to do business with an- volved, was Albert Poggio OBE as head by electronic publishing in 2008. other country with a culture different of the London office of the Government Independent travel agents interested from their own needs access to someone of Gibraltar. A few hotels also became in Gibraltar may want to contact the with local expertise. If the territory is members: the Caleta, the Rock and the UKGTA. Its initiatives have included occasionally disputed in ways that even Holiday Inn, Gibraltar; and three air- Project 250, instigated by Brian your locals don’t understand – how lines: Air UK, GB Airways and Dan Air. Callaghan at the Caleta Hotel, who was many residents of mainland Britain Membership has changed over the years, chairman at the time. Working with could name the treaty that binds Gibral- but the initial impetus remains. Monarch Airlines, the association tar to us rather than to the Spanish? – The initial set-up was due to a particu- brought 250 travel agents to Gibraltar in then you need this even more. Hence the lar moment in history. The Gulf war had one year to explore the opportunities the emergence of the UK Gibraltar Tourism happened very recently and sales of holi- Rock presented Association (UKGTA). days to Mediterranean countries had Anyone setting up in Gibraltar or Given that Gibraltar has been a British dropped severely – but it soon proved its wanting an “in” into the tourist industry territory for some 300 years (initially usefulness in more routine times. The as a partner still needs that man or through the Treaty of Utrecht, but there principle was to bring together suppliers woman on the spot. From our office in have been many since which are some- and tour operators to streamline the ad- the Strand, the UKGTA has been operat- what less exclusive), it is perhaps sur- vertising needed to revive the tourist in- ing for over two decades and should be prising that the UKGTA was founded dustry. So the association’s first concrete everyone’s first port of call. only in 1991. The initial support came step was to approve a brochure, which is from the then minister for tourism, remembered as “iconic”. Taking advan- Albert Poggio is the UK representative of Joseph Pilcher, and its membership tage of both government and private HM Government, Gibraltar

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Source: Sunborn