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Date Published: 26/06/2023

Spain tourist industry on target for the best summer of all time

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Tourism numbers in Spain have already exceeded 2019 levels by 1%

Spain tourist industry on target for the best summer of all time

The Spanish tourism industry is preparing for an unprecedented summer season after already breaking all records in the first six months of the year. Although the global economy isn’t expected to make a full post-Covid recovery until 2024 or 2025, the Mediterranean nations are well on their way and have already beaten 2019 visitor numbers by 1%.

The scene was set in Spain by an Easter that took the tourism sector by surprise, with the international market raking in 20.1% more in revenue than the year before the pandemic. The country welcomed 7.2 million holidaymakers in April, 18.5% more than in 2022 and the average price per hotel room exceeded 100 euros for the entire month.

With this data in mind, travel experts expect this summer to be the best ever, and that’s despite the fact that rampant inflation means that the cost of flights and accommodation has gone through the roof.

“Travelling is an intrinsic part of being human,” says World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) director Alessandra Priante. “There are more people who did not travel before and who now feel like it. That is why prices have risen, but there has not been a contraction in demand. Planes are expensive, but they are full.”

And although this desire to travel “will not diminish, experts predict that the sector will stabilise in 2024”, or at least prices will.

The experts worry that such a large influx of tourists is not sustainable, given the extra pressure it heaps on the facilities and infrastructure in holiday hotspots. Limiting visitor numbers, a solution that has been suggested in the Canary Islands, isn’t the answer though, at least according to Priante. Rather, the Spanish authorities should take a leaf out of Venice’s book and focus on marketing areas away from the main tourist traps as attractive – and cheaper – holiday destinations.

“If there is too much demand, the supply has to be calibrated. You have to plan and schedule, but not just for this summer. If tourism is not thought of in 360 degrees, the same thing will happen next summer,” she said.

Now read: Masks no longer mandatory in hospitals and pharmacies in Spain

Image: Ayuntamiento de Calpe

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