Andorra Tourists Complain of Spanish Replies Despite Catalan Official Status
Complaints are surging in Andorra over tourism businesses ignoring Catalan, the official language, and replying in Spanish. A notable incident at a capital gelateria prompted customers to leave without purchasing.
Key Points
- Residents and visitors report tourism workers responding in Spanish when addressed in Catalan.
- Long-time visitor shocked at gelateria in Andorra la Vella where staff refused Catalan, leading to walkout.
- Visitor notes 'attitude of annoyance' from staff insisting on official language.
- Highlights concerns over Catalan declining in tourism sector despite its official status.
Residents and visitors in Andorra are raising more complaints about the declining presence of Catalan in the tourism sector, where workers frequently reply in Spanish even when addressed in the country's official language.
A frequent visitor, who has travelled to the Principat regularly for about 25 years, expressed particular alarm over the trend. She uses Catalan consistently during trips to both Catalonia and Andorra, but finds it especially surprising that some businesses here still respond in Spanish. She has even sensed an "attitude of annoyance" from staff on occasions when she insisted on communicating in Catalan.
The incident that most shocked her took place at a gelateria on Andorra la Vella's main commercial avenue. She and her companions ended up leaving without buying anything, as they could not make themselves understood in Catalan. The woman described the episode as particularly serious given its setting in the heart of the capital's shopping hub.
She stressed that respect for the official language should be a basic requirement for any business operating in Andorra. "For dignity and respect towards Andorra, I stick to Catalan," she wrote in her message, according to the Andorran News Agency (ANA).
The case highlights ongoing concerns about Catalan fading from the tourism industry, which depends on foreign customers yet operates in a country where the language has official status. No official response has been issued on the matter.
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