He explained that last year, nearly 52 million tourists visited Spain, making it the "most visited country." In Jan.-Feb. 2003, Spain also managed to attract tourists at the same level as in 2002.

As for repercussions from the Iraqi war, Juan Costa pointed out that "conflict scenarios never have positive consequences."

So, he said, "The tourist industry has been affected, because many international vacationers have taken the decision not to leave their countries."

On the international economy, he pointed out that if the Iraqi war is finished quickly and petroleum production capacity not seriously affected, the impact of war "will be reduced."

(Xinhua News Agency March 22, 2003)