Spanish tourism boasts healthy results

THERE were positive results for Spanish tourism as 2014 closed with a 2.9 per cent increase in people taking holidays in the country.

In total, 65 million foreigners visited Spain the last year, 7.1 per cent more than in 2013, bringing in €49 billion, a 3.9 per cent increase in revenue compared with the previous year.

This data has been provided by the Tourism Excellence Alliance, Exceltur.

The tourism industry proved one of the main sources of employment in 2014, creating more than 53,213 jobs and at the same time boosting the performance of related sectors, such as commerce and construction, through the renovation of tourist areas, according to Exceltur.

However, the average amount of money a tourist spends during a trip has decreased by 3 per cent.

In 2014, each foreign visitor generated a real benefit of €754, a figure much lower than the €1,116 generated 14 years ago.

One reason for this decrease, according to Exceltur, is that many visitors stay in unlicensed accommodation, with an average daily cost of €67, while authorised homes or hotels cost an average of €114 per day.

In addition, many tourists arrive in the country through low-cost airlines and by car, which amounts to a daily benefit of €74 and €56 respectively, while tourists who choose traditional airlines leave a benefit of more than €100.

In 2014, the best tourism results were registered in the Canary Islands, Andalucia, the Valencian Community and Balearic Islands.