Brexit will have ‘short-term’ impact on travel industry: Amadeus CFO 

The chief financial officer of travel technology website Amadeus told CNBC Wednesday that one country out of the EU would not have a specific impact on the travel industry, however “it’s true that Brexit may have a global impact and our business is related with global GDP (gross domestic product).”

Ana de Pro, making her remarks from Madrid, said that Brexit – Britain leaving the European Union –would not affect her business “that much… we are a truly global company and we operate everywhere,” and though Brexit may have a short-term impact, it would not impact the travel industry in the long-run.

“Of course, it is a risk on certitude for a certain period of time and afterwards to see how things evolve,” Pro told CNBC.

“Uncertainty and risk is never good for growth. That will have a negative impact but overall, the market is already discounting some things and I think once the panorama will be more clarified, things will be improving rather than the opposite,” she added.

Summer holiday bookings have been growing steadily, said Pro, with the travel industry overall witnessing a very strong performance in the first quarter of the year, “probably favored by the low oil prices with airlines being able to reduce the prices.”

Amadeus announced a partnership deal with travel giant Expedia.com at the beginning of the month. “We invest heavily in technology because the travel industry today is all about technology … we work to be connected door-to-door,” said de Pro.

De Pro told CNBC that although Spain has always been a favorite tourist destination, 2016 has been one of the best in terms of hotel occupancy as tourists are traveling even more to the country than previously, deterred by unstable political situations in North Africa and Turkey.

“We have culture, we have sun… we are quite well-known for having a nice time,” Pro said to CNBC, on why tourists flock to Spain.