Chaos at Renfe, Barajas... the tourism sector warns of a blow to Spain's image during its peak season: "It can't happen again."

The storm of transport delays and disruptions threatens to mar the start of Spain's peak tourist season. With trains out of service and long lines at the overcrowded Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport , the sector is issuing a clear warning: logistical chaos not only frustrates travelers, it could also affect Spain 's international image as a "safe and efficient" destination.

Those affected by the railway crisis due to the overhead line cut on Tuesday had already warned: "The train is full of tourists. This is damaging to Spain's image , irreparable reputational damage. And it's a real shame." Just one day later, a systems access failure collapsed passport control at Madrid airport, affecting thousands of travelers on several international flights. Furthermore, a lack of National Police officers for checks was evident, with only eight of 16 modules operational.

At such a crucial time for tourism, a computer or power line failure can happen, but what can't happen is " a lack of personnel in a sector that knows when flights are arriving and from which countries," Óscar Perelli, Executive Vice President of Exceltur, told EL MUNDO. This incident led to long lines at the airport for more than two hours on Wednesday, along with anxiety caused by missed flights, baggage, and a lack of information. Therefore, Exceltur believes the country has "excellent" infrastructure and communication, but the challenge lies in managing these elements.

Given this situation, the tourism association is calling on the Ministry of the Interior to ensure this doesn't happen again, because, in any case, it's "not good for the country" that these situations affect Spaniards so often in such a short period of time. Perelli points out that "this isn't a one-off"; a similar situation has already been seen in Tenerife, where there were only "four police officers," and also in Mallorca. Furthermore, incidents on high-speed rail are so frequent that user complaints are not uncommon.

Juan Molas , president of the Spanish Tourism Board , also agrees. "This is repeated negligence on the part of the Ministry of the Interior, which once again turns its back on tourism," Molas denounced. He also emphasized how damaging this chain of incidents could be for tourism, which is now "exposed to international discredit."

"Spain, as one of the world's leading tourist destinations, cannot afford to project such a poor image at the gateway for millions of tourists. It's a shameful situation that seriously damages the country's reputation and compromises the experience of those who visit us from the very first minute," Molas denounces.

The Association of Airlines (ALA) believes that these types of situations "cause great harm to passengers and airlines, as well as to our country's image and tourism."

Complaints about the deteriorating transportation services are becoming more frequent. Not only from users, but also from associations. This isn't the first summer marked by transportation failures. The thousands of people affected also remember the summer of 2024, which was a nightmare, not only because of the high temperatures but also because of the constant incidents on the trains.

The sector demands greater "investment in infrastructure managers" and a "provision of agents" to oversee processes. This is especially true because these are essential services in one of the sectors that serves as the gateway to the country. They also demand "a comprehensive review of security operations at the terminal and the assumption of political responsibility."