This has the effect of making ICTs appear relatively expensive for consumers and small local enterprises. There are significant differences in earnings levels between the main city and industrial areas and the rural hinterland. Labour laws that severely restrict flexibility have discouraged companies from hiring full time permanent employees and led to high levels of temporary or fixed term contract working. Government spending has been significantly reduced in recent years as part of successful efforts to qualify for entry to the Euro. Spanish is one of the world's most widely spoken languages, after Chinese and English.
Tourism is an important industry.
The large world population of Spanish-speakers provides early critical mass for online activities, compared with most European countries. The cultural and political strength of individual regions, while favouring local initiatives, makes it more difficult to develop and sustain national and international activities relating to Spain as a whole or the Spanish language, so that some of the value of the large Spanish speaking opportunity is diminished. There are signs of progressive public policy initiatives, for example in the field of electronic signatures and trusted third parties Spain has been an active protagonist. 3.13.3 Conclusions Spanish institutions and enterprises are active participants in all European Union programmes, including Information Society development, but a clear and strong national vision of how telework, teletrade and telecooperation can be applied to address economic and employment growth has yet to emerge. Spanish people are natural communicators, and Spain has a powerful world image, reinforced by history, by the worldwide use of the language, and by its popularity as a tourism destination.