Brits Grabbing Spanish Package Holidays in Record Numbers

Brits Grabbing Spanish Package Holidays in Record Numbers

With the fantastic climate and wonderful Mediterranean cuisine

its no wonder more and more Brits are coming to Spain. 

One of the main summer staples of Brits is the idea of the complete package holiday. They offer a well-priced week or two in the sun for the whole family to enjoy. They’re also hassle free as travel, dining, and leisure is taken care of in advance. 

Spain has been the primary destination for Brits booking holidays across the past few decades. Even so, there have been a few times it looked like the country might have been about to lose their package holiday crown.

Cheaper alternatives emerged, such as Tunisia, Turkey and Bulgaria; placing heavy pressure on the Spanish resorts. Then came Greece, Italy, and Portugal; that offered something new and exciting for Brits to enjoy by virtue of being “not Spain”. 

This period of uncertainty was not to last however. Europe and the Mediterranean alike were hit by the global credit crunch. Even though Spain had a harder time recovering than other countries, the tourism industry wasn’t nearly as badly damaged.

As prices fell across Europe following a period of employment uncertainty and job losses, cash-strapped Brits stayed starved for some sun and fun, and they continued to prove their loyalty to the Costas. Spanish tourism remained strong between 2008 and 2013 – and even increased dramatically during 2014.

After a record-breaking 2016 Spain is ready and willing to welcome even more tourists during 2017. This is partly down to the unfortunate death of Egyptian and Tunisian reports as a result of security threats and terrorism – but a good majority of it is down to the excellent weather of the country, along with the affordability, accessibility, and high quality of the resorts in the country. 

British holidaymakers have always been fans of this combination, which would explain why the number of package holidays in Spain booked as of June 24 is already 270,000 higher than for the same point last year; at least according to the data from Gfk Leisure Travel Monitor. 

The statistic represents a growth of almost double that seen in Greece; the second-most popular package holiday choice for Brits. It also puts Spain well ahead of other favourite destinations including Croatia, the Caribbean, Cyprus, and Portugal.

The data also showed that holiday bookings for the USA, Egypt, and Turkey have fallen compared to this time last year. America can put this down to the Trump Effect, while Turkey and Egypt can put it down to terrorism concerns.