The Costa del Sol is packed. The Balearics are bursting. And Whitehall is watching.
Spain's tourist boom, turbocharged by Middle East instability, has Britain's travel sector crying foul. Flights to Egypt and Turkey? Down. Holiday bookings to Marbella and Mallorca? Through the roof.
But here's the rub. The Department for Transport is mulling tighter regulation on package holidays. Consumer protections, they say. The travel industry calls it a tax on success.
One senior travel executive told me last night: "We're being punished for doing well. The government wants to clamp down just as we recover."
The polling data is clear. Britons are nervous about the Middle East. They want safe sun. Spain delivers. But the backlash from the travel lobby is loud and organised.
Sources close to the Transport Secretary indicate that a consultation on package travel reforms is imminent. The industry fears it will add costs, cut margins, and drive customers to DIY holidays.
Labour's shadow tourism minister is watching closely. They smell an opportunity to paint the government as anti-business.
Let's be blunt. This is a Whitehall turf war. The Treasury wants tax receipts. The DfT wants safety. The industry wants freedom.
And the sunseekers? They just want a cheap pint in Benidorm.
Expect leaks in the next 48 hours. The travel sector is mobilising. MPs with Spanish constituencies are being lobbied. It's the Game, and everyone is playing.
