Spain Ranked Third-Most Popular Destination by World Tourism Organisation

Spain Ranked Third-Most Popular Destination by World Tourism Organisation

Southern Spain continues to be very attractive to all visitors

coming to Spain

The latest data from the UNWTO – Word Tourism Organisation – ranks Spain as the third in global tourism rankings for 2016.

The data showed that 68.2 million visitors flocked to Spain last year, putting it behind the USA (with 77.5 million visitors), and the first-place France, which saw a total of 84.5 million visitors from overseas.

The statistics from the UNWTO are a little different from other metrics as they record every visitor from a foreign country, rather than just legitimate tourists booking an overnight stay at the very least. This is the likely reason that France came in first, as many people pass through the country on their journeys to surrounding countries.

This doesn’t mean that France doesn’t have a strong tourism market though, it just means that France – which finds itself in the middle of the UK, Italy, Belgium, and Germany – is always going to deal with a lot of ‘visitors’.

Spain – on the other hand – has land borders with just Portugal, France, and Andorra – and it isn’t as large or as populated as France is. The UNWTO also published a separate set of data about the number of tourists per resident. This metric saw Spain beat France; drawing 1.4 tourists for every resident, beating the 1.25 France scored.

An interesting note is that Andorra – that small principality between Spain and France – that topped the charts for tourists-per-resident; drawing in a massive 33.5 tourists per resident.

As far as overall numbers go, Spain is just in front of China (56.9 million overseas visitors during 2016), Italy (50.7 million) and Turkey (39.4 million). The UK came in eighth for the total number of visitors, pulling in 33.4 million tourists during the year; just behind the 35 million of seventh-place Germany.

The top ten was completed with Mexico in ninth with 32.1 million tourists and Russia in tenth with 31.3 million.

The Spanish tourism sector is expected to continue to grow this year; growing 3.2% over 2016 figures.  Southern Spain and the costa del sol breaking all records.

Malaga the Second-Most Popular Cruise Ship Destination in Spain

Malaga continues to be a great stop of for Cruise Ships

Malaga the Second-Most Popular Cruise Ship Destination in Spain

Have you ever gone on a cruise? Despite the stereotype that old people are the ones taking cruises are over 50 years old, cruises are becoming more popular with the younger generations of Europe. There are so many young people taking cruises, in fact, that cruise companies are changing the way that they market holiday packages.

What’s likely not about to change any time soon is where these cruise ship passengers choose as their destination. A cruise ship needs to offer something special to be worthwhile, from the beautiful Caribbean to the sunny Aegean and frozen fjords of Norway.

The main highlight of cruises has always been docking at an incredible port city. It seems that this includes plenty of places in Spain this March. Data from Cruise Trade News has shown that the port of Malaga was the second-busiest port in Spain across March in terms of cruise ship traffics. The top spent went to bountiful Barcelona.

This is hardly going to be a surprise for regulars to the Costa del Sol who understand the beauty held by the city of Malaga. The city has medieval architecture, breathtaking vistas offered by the incredible vantage points, and tightly winding streets that all contribute to the plentiful number of reasons to visit.

Even though cruise ship passengers might only get to stay in the city for a few hours or days, the city is sure to delight even in such a small amount of time. The reputation Malaga has for being one of the most alluring sights of Spain is only growing; especially in the cruise world.

Travel company TUI are set to send their TUI Discovery 2 cruise ship to the city of Malaga for the first time next month. The ship will be packed with thousands of passengers – and their sizeable wallets – all eager to hit the shops and see the sights.

Managing director of Thomson Cruises Helen Caron said that the company was delighted to name Malaga as the homeport of the TUI Discovery 2. She said that Malaga is the ideal base for families, friends, and couples looking to see a stunning destination.

The TUI Discovery 2 has 915 cabins and is capable of housing 1,832 people. The largest cruise ship in the world – the Harmony of the Seas – impressed onlookers last summer as it pulled into the port of Malaga or a day, heading from Vigo in the northwest of Spain.

Spain Once Again Proves to be Most Popular Destination for Irish Tourists

Spain Once Again Proves to be Most Popular Destination for Irish Tourists

Its no wonder Spain continues to be the best

destination in the world.

There’s an old – and bad – joke that says a holiday isn’t a holiday when the Irish go on holiday to the UK. It is somewhat accurate however. The data from the Central Statistics Office in Ireland showed that the UK was the most popular destination for the Irish last year, with around 2.4 million trips between the two countries.

Most of these trips could be considered to be related to work or family though, and aren’t necessarily holidays. This is the line that the CSO is giving at least, and we’re going to agree with them given that the data also shows 1.5 million of the 7.6 million trips the Irish took abroad last year were to Spain.

If one were to compare the total expenditure of Irish tourists in 2016, it becomes obvious that Spain is the most popular holiday destination and not the UK. Around €993 million was spent in the UK by the Irish across their 2.4 million trips.

On the other hand, around €1.4 billion was spent in Spain from 1.5 million trips. This shows that the Irish are definitely choosing to spend longer (and spend more) in Spain compared to the UK.

All of this data was further backed up by a recent AA poll, which surveyed 7,000 Irish people on their tourism and holiday preferences. The poll showed Spain was the most popular overseas destination for one-in-five tourists, with the USA, Portugal, France, and Italy following behind.

It’s worth noting that Spain has been the top of this particular poll for the past five years.

The excellent weather and the superb beaches and landscape of Spain has been one of the main attractions for the Irish. The most appealing factor, however, could be the affordability of the Costas.

The poll from the AA discovered many Irish under-25s are more cost-conscious as far as travel goes. The affordability and value for money Spain has makes it popular with those in the Emerald Isle.

Even though more people are going abroad for their holiday than before, it’s still obvious that holidays are treated as luxuries. Young people in particular regard them as luxuries because they are less secure financially.

Even though Spain was the ideal choice for 25% of the people polled, “staycationing” in Ireland pulled in 15% of the vote – and second place. We suspect that Ireland will stay in second place until Cork can generate as much bright sunshine as Marbella. Which isn’t likely to happen any time soon.

November Prices Remain Stable in Popular Regions of Spain

November Prices Remain Stable in Popular Regions of Spain

The Costa del Sol enjoy the recover better than others

The property prices in the more popular regions of Spainhave stayed at a stable level in the November price index, although 11 of the autonomous regions of the country saw average prices dip a little.

The Canary Islands and the Balearics were as popular as ever with prices slightly increasing, as well as increases in Murcia and Andalucía. However the average price for property in Spain fell 1.1% in November over October. Experts agree that this could be a seasonal dip and is very small.

While there has been some uniformity in Spanish property price trends – as prices are generally on the increase – the demand for property is different for some regions. The prices for homes in Castilla-La Mancha for example went down by 1.5% in November. There was also a 1.3% price drop in Catalynya, but there was an average price increase of 1.7% in Barcelona.

The Costa del sol has always been the most popular and robust region in the country for property, with the average price for property increasing in November by over 1%.

Even though there were some slight dips in property prices for the less popular regions of Spain the year as a whole has been great for the property market in Spain. The amount of homes sold has gone up each month and there are more foreign buyers than before, as well as the younger generation in Spain entering the property market thanks to an improved job market and mortgage availability.

The economy minister of Spain Luis de Guindos spoke about the recovery of Spain, saying that the country has the advantage now that the political uncertainty has finally ended. The data would certainly seem to back these claims as GDP could reach 3.2% in 2016. Unemployment is also improving and is down to 18.9%. The government that was behind the economic recovery of Spain in the first place is back in charge and ready to keep the course steady.

The president of the Spanish banking association AEB, José María Roldán said that the measures taken during the crisis are really paying off. There are a lot more jobs and the cost of living has stay low with growth beening strong, showing how effective the reforms have been. Mr Roldán added that the country needed to maintain their course as repealing and reversing the reforms would be suicidal for the country.

The Numbers Don’t Lie: Spain More Popular Than Ever

Spain is bringing people in with more than just beaches. Brits are being attracted by the cities, mountains, and history of Spain. They’re also spending more time in the less-known areas of the country.

The news has seen a number of stories about the rising popularity of Spain and the increase in Spanish tourism over the past few months.

Statistics from different sources, from travel agencies to the Spanish National Statistics Institute, show that Spanish tourism has been on the rise since the start of the year, with a sharp rise in April. It’s been so significant some people are still struggling to understand how it all happened.

This week even the Financial Times joined in. They took a look at the numbers and asked around to see why this all happened. 

No one will be particularly surprised by the answers but it is a message that bears repeating. Spain is more affordable, safe, accessible, the cost of living in Spain is cheap and has a better climate than a lot of other destinations. There are very few places that offer the all-in-one package that Spain does. Spain has a few extra cards to play this year; chief amongst which is the rising popularity of Spain as a place to take a city-break and a cultural destination.

Before we start crunching all those numbers we should remind you of them. The data from the INE shows that Spain brought in just over 18 million tourists between January and April. This is 13% more than the same period last year and 6 million of those tourists came in April alone.

Four million of those tourists were Brits – around a fifth more than for the same period last year. There were also more tourists from Germany, Scandinavia and America than last year.

The Financial Times spoke with a range of experts who all agreed that Spain is doing so well because their top rivals are no longer safe. Terrorist threats are keeping people out of countries like Turkey and Egypt. Spain, Bulgaria and Greece are seeing most of these visitors instead.

Dörte Nordbeck, the head of travel and logistics at GFK, believes that the spate of terrorist attacks in Tunisia, Turkey and Egypt have made potential tourists wary of these countries.

Nordbeck says that there was a shift in booking behaviour after the attacks. People are switching to Spain over Turkey, Egypt and Tunisia. Some people are also going to Greece and Bulgaria instead.

Turkish tourism has dropped a massive 28% in the past 12 months. Less than 2 million people visited in April. Tunisia and Egypt, popular destinations during the winter, also saw a drop in tourism over the winter season. The Canary Islands in Spain saw a lot of these tourists instead. Tourism has increased 23% in the Canary Islands alone over the past 12 months according to Thomas Cook Group.

The CEO of Thomas Cook, Peter Frankhauser, has said that they have seen people choosing Spain and America instead of Tunisia and Egypt.

The threat of terrorism isn’t the only thing causing a spike in Spanish popularity though. The secretary general of Cehat, the Spanish hotel union, says that Spain is doing well because more people are recommending it and are becoming more interested in Spanish culture, history and language.

British tourists are also expanding their horizons with many going to Barcelona to ski. They are visiting much more than just the usual islands and Mediterranean resorts and are beginning to explore the cities more often like Malaga for example.

Is Spain Becoming Too Popular With Tourists?

Is Spain Becoming Too Popular With Tourists?

Spain is seeing another great summer in terms of tourism. It’s getting so good, in fact, we have to ask if Spain is becoming a little too popular.

Spain is so popular with tourists

Spain is used to seeing the beaches filled to the brim during summer. People visiting the Costa el Sol, Costa Brava, the Canaries, and any other popular destination, will have trouble finding a piece of the beach to call their own. For a while this was even part of the appeal.

Spain just isn’t Spain if the restaurants and bars aren’t packed, if the night clubs aren’t pounding out music, and if the roads are crammed. This is, oddly enough, one of the big appeals of Spain. It’s a week or two of fun with a backdrop that seems to almost never stops. All this actually serves to show how Spain is able to handle all of these tourists and continue to work perfectly even when full.

It’s beginning to sound like things are getting a little too bad though and Spain could be experiencing tourism fatigue. It’s been suggested that Spain could literally sell out and that more people than ever will be flocking to the country this year. Majorca and Barcelona may become so packed it becomes a risk to the eco-system and historical sites. Spain really is becoming just a little too popular.

This year will definitely be a big year for Spain. People looking for fun in the sun will usually spread themselves across the entire Mediterranean but not this year. Now there is too much danger in countries such as Tunisia, Egypt, and Turkey. Spain is getting most of the tourists that would otherwise have gone to these countries.

It’s expected that 28% more people will be visiting Ibiza on a cruise ship this year. In Spain it looks like 20% more people could visit in 2016. Palma airport, a major airport in Majorca, has worked hard to increase their capacity and can now handle 100 flights a day. Last year they were able to handle 66 flights a day.

The mayor of Barcelona, Ada Colau, has agreed that large groups of tourists should be banned from entering the La Boqueria market during certain times in the day. He has also said that no more licenses for tourist accommodation will be handed out. He’s spreading the very clear message that the city is full.

This news is bound to be welcomed by local businesses that rely on tourism. Other people feel that the problems are starting to mount though. Majorca is already trying to stop this popularity from being their downfall. They’ve got stated by introducing a €2 a day eco tax. This Spanish tax comes into effect on the first of June and the money will be used for environmental conservation.

The president of the Balearics, Francina Armengol, has expressed concern that the amount of money waiters are bound to make could discourage people from trying to get into a more professional field.

There is no denying that these concerns are legitimate, and there are some countries that would welcome these kind of “problems”, but there is a good reason that Spain is popular. It’s about balance. That balance could very well be tipped this summer.

Three Reasons Spain Is the Most Popular Emigration Choice for Brits

Three Reasons Spain Is the Most Popular Emigration Choice for Brits

With sunshine all year its no wonder why so many brits love Spain

Spain has always been the most popular places in Europe for Brits to emigrate to and it’s quite clear why.

There is a time where for one week a year Britain managed to have higher temperatures than Spain and the tabloids were always smug about it. They would delight in declaring that people were choosing a staycation and laughing at people who left the homeland for warmer weather. That week has now come and gone.

Temperatures in the UK are back down to their average of between 12-17ºC and things are shifting back to normal now with many Brits looking for some fun in the sun and freedom from the rain.

All of this has made the new report from MoveHub quite timely. The relocation specialists published a report showing that Spain has become the third most popular destination Brits looking for help on emigrating go to. It’s not the best overall, but it is the best in Europe. First and second place went to Australia and the US.

Those two places are definitely long-haul so it’s always best to consult specialists such as MoveHub before making any major decisions. If you’re choosing somewhere close to home, such as Spain, then it’s close enough for you to try to handle on your own. With the Cost of living so low in Spain always being the choice for Brits looking to move into the sun but still be close to their real home.

With that in mind here are three of the reasons that Spain is such a hot choice for Brits looking to move abroad.

1.      Sunshine All The Time

Spain is guaranteed to stay sunny practically all year round. Even in December the temperature can come in at around 25 degrees. No matter what time of year it is, from spring, to summer, from March to August, one thing Spain can guarantee you is the sunshine.

On the other hand the UK is one of the darker countries there is. It’s not hard to imagine someone wanting to move somewhere brighter. Spain brings this to a whole new level though by being sunny all year round. With all that sun and heat comes a relaxed attitude towards life.

2.      Not Many Cultural Differences

While Spain and Britain may be different, the way that we socialise isn’t.

Okay, yes, the traditional Spain; filled with flamenco dancing and bullfighting, is far from the country pub, Sunday roasts, and 9-5 lifestyle, but Spain and the UK have similar cultures overall.

A big part of this is, of course, that Brits have been moving to Spain for the better part of half a century. So of course Spain is becoming a little more British. Even if that wasn’t the case the two countries have some things in common. Both love bars, football, family, and having fun outdoors. The relationships between the countries and their cultures is only growing too.

3.      Many Chances to Enter the Property Market

No matter where you’re trying to buy a home in Spain you’ll find that the property market is well quipped to meet the needs of British buyers.

British buyers bought roughly 20% of the homes sold in Spain to a non-Spaniard last year. This is an impressive statistic on its own but it adds to the decades of investment in Spanish property from Brits. Brits have always been the biggest foreign investors in the Spanish market.

As a result developers in Spain know just what British buyers in Costa del Sol and Spain want in a home and have built homes ready for Brits. There is something for every Brit in the Spanish property market. With the pound slowly recovering it’s never been so affordable to buy Spanish property.