British Holidaymakers Spent an Average of €48 Million per Day in Spain Last Year

British Holidaymakers Spent an Average of €48 Million per Day in Spain Last Year

Brits continue to flock to the Costa del sol 

Everyone knows that Brits love heading to Spain when they’re choosing a destination in the sun. It seems the Brits weren’t content with just being the main property investors and tourist group for Spain in 2017, as they were also – sort of – the biggest spenders.

As a collective British holidaymakers were spending an average of €48 million a day in Spain, which works out at around €2 million EACH HOUR. All in all, this figure accounts for 20.1% of all tourist spending in the country in 2017. Tourism spending reached a total of €86.82 billion in Spain, with Brits spending around €17.42 billion of that.

German tourists were barely spending more than Brits pre head, but their overall €12.2 billion spent in Spain puts them below the British. The reason for this was that there were more Brits than Germans in Spain 2017, with around 18.78 million Brits and 11.89 million Germans visiting.

French and Scandinavian tourists threw another €7 billion each into the Spanish economy last year, leading to tourism accounting for 11% of the GDP for the country; meaning tourism is one of the most important industries in Spain. 

The data comes to us from the Ministry of Tourism in Spain and shows just how important it is that Spain continues attracting city breakers, sun-seekers, hikers, golfers, and culture vultures to their shores.

Overall, a total of over 81 million people visited Spain during 2017, representing an annual increase of 8.6%.

Ryanair to Open 29 New Routes to Spain this Winter

More great news for Spain

Ryanair to Open 29 New Routes to Spain this Winter

Irish budget airline Ryanair is set to add 29 extra routes to Spain, leaving them with over 500 routes to and from Spain.

Spain remains a popular destination for spending the summer in the sun and this popularity will only increase with the news that Ryanair are set to open 29 new routes to Spain this year. This will bring Ryanair up to 500 routes, and comes at the perfect time as Spanish tourism is flying quite high as it is. 

Ryanair chief Michael O’Leary explained the reasoning behind the increase in routes, saying that Spain was one of the most important markets for the airline. He explained that around 27% of Ryanair’s traffic is related to Spain, which is no doubt important to the company. 

Key highlights of the additions include extra flights between Seville and Edinburgh, Bristol, Rabat and Tangier in Morocco, and Venice. The extra connections to Barcelona will see flights to Burgundy in France and Palermo in Italy, while Palma de Majorca is set to welcome flights from Milan, Rome, and Dusseldorf. 

Alicante is set to offer a connection to Newquay in England, Gdansk in Poland, and Bologna in Italy, along with domestic flights to Seville. 

Ryanair will be operating flights in 26 Spanish airports after the expansion, handling over 41 million passengers each year, which is a major share of the overall tourism market of Spain. 

Spain registered a massive increase in low-cost air traffic to the country with a 13.7% increase.

Summer Road Deaths Fall 12% in Spain

Summer Road Deaths Fall 12% in Spain

Spanish drivers are taking less risks and accidents are down

31% less people died on Spanish roads over the summer of 2017 compared to 2016, which is encouraging. 

Driving through Spain is an incredible experience because of the stunning scenery and pleasant climate, not to mention the long winding roads across the most incredible and cliff-hugging terrain around.

Spanish driving habits are considered to be a reflection of the general psyche of the country. If we could describe British drivers as being patient and polite but prone to the occasional outburst of road rage, then it may be fair to say that Spanish drivers are passionate about driving and not afraid to show their emotions.

The reality is that everywhere has good and bad drivers of course, and this includes Spain. As Spain has modernised their road network through EU money, and cars are made safer with German and Japanese engineering, Spanish road deaths are drastically decreasing.

The latest data from the Directorate General of Traffic (DGT) in Spain shows road deaths in summer dropped 12% compared to the same time period in 2016 – which shows that Spanish roads are becoming safer than ever before. 

The data shows that 224 road deaths occurred in July and August in 2017, which is 31 less than in 2016 across the same time period. While the figure remains high compared to the rest of the EU (where Germany, the UK, and Denmark have the safest roads statistically) it is a great improvement over the space of one year, especially given that the amount of trips taken in the country across the summer increased 3% to 87.6 million. 

In regional terms, much of central and northern Spain saw less fatalities, along with the Balearic Islands.

Andalucía recorded a total of 38 road deaths in the summer, which was an increase from the 35 last year. The region remains popular with holidaymakers from across the world, most of whom are behind the wheel as soon as they leave the airport. This means that it is difficult for authorities to control road deaths and bring them to acceptable levels.

This can also be said of Catalonia, where the perpetual popularity of Barcelona goes somewhat towards explaining why 15 more road deaths occurred during this summer compared to last summer.

Great Prices and Supply Make Spain a Major Real Estate Investment Destination

Costa del Sol has such appeal and continues to be in demand 

Great Prices and Supply Make Spain a Major Real Estate Investment Destination

It’s all too easy to focus on the incredible lifestyle attractions that entice people looking for a second home or an overseas property to Spain.

The incredible climate of the country, not to mention the stunning cities, superb beaches (and beach resorts), and varied terrain make imagining your new life in Spain about as easy as achieving it. With all the cheap flights and property choices, it’s no wonder that thousands of Europeans have turned their dream Spanish homes into a reality.

The wealth of variety and the value-for-money of Spanish property mean the market has become a hotbed for more serious investors; the kind of people that want to put their money in a safe place and get sensible returns.

The UK was the chosen destination for career investors interested in parking their wealth in property investments for quite some. The uncertainty of the Brexit has begun to unravel the reputation the country has for being a stable safe haven however, and the property markets in Spain and Germany are starting to draw attention.

According to a Knight Frank poll of 148 of the leading real estate investors controlling over £300 billion of real estate assets, 20% of the surveyed investors view Spain as their preferred market for investment in 2018, second to Germany. Only 12% of investors said that the UK would be their property investment destination of choice in 2017, down from the 27% for this year.

The investors were mostly concerned about the lack of available stock and the unrealistic prices in the UK.

By contrast, Spain has a rising demand for home, officespace, retail, and leisure facilities that make the residential and commercial markets particularly strong. The prices are also a fair reflection of the market value of properties. Because of the resurgent Spanish economy there is sure to be an increased demand for industrial and office space as time passes, according to the investors.

British Visitors Numbers for Spain up 7.8% So Far in 2017

British Visitors Numbers for Spain up 7.8%  in 2017

Costa Del Sol continues to offer great value and

a wonderful holiday destination

Spain has an enduring appeal that continues because it offers all the simple things but it does it so much better than anywhere else in the world.

The beaches are kept clean, accessible and varied, as well as being served by plenty of restaurants, bars, hotels, and playgrounds; the Spanish climate is pleasant for most of the year; accommodations range from affordable to five-star expensive resorts; the flights to the country are cheap and fly regularly; the cities are historic and modern at once, not to mention beautiful; and the people are incredibly welcoming and friendly.

It’s hardly a surprise that Spain regularly ranks among the top three most-visited destinations each year. It seems that Spain may become THE most popular destination of 2017 however, at least according official tourism data from the Spanish National Statistics Institute (INE).

Spain welcomed 57 million tourists up to – and including – August of this year; marking an annual increase of 9.9% compared to last year. Around 10.4 million people – which is about a quarter of the population of Spain – visited the country during August. The figure was a 4% increase compared to August 2016, suggesting that the popularity of Spain continues to grow.

The story is the same for British visitors in particular. There have been some fears since the Brexit that British visitors would prefer to stay in the UK instead of travelling overseas where they wouldn’t get as much for their money. It seems that the 13.2 million Brits heading to Spain up to August would prove those fears wrong.

The amount of Brits visiting Spain has increased 7.8% in 2017 compared to 2016, and there have been noticeable increases in tourists coming in from other countries. Some 8.2 million Germans visited Spain, up 7.2% from last year, with 8.4 million French tourists flocking the country; an increase of 1.8%.

The region of Andalucía, which is where Costa del Sol islocated, saw the highest increase in foreign tourists, increasing 5% year last year. Andalucía saw 1.4 million overseas visitors in August alone.

Brits Spent €3.25m an Hour in Spain During August

Brits Spent €3.25m an Hour in Spain During August

Brits love affair with Spain continues as they send

a record amount in August

The value of British tourism to Spain has been clearly defined with the latest official data showing that holidaymakers from the UK spent an average of €3.25 million an hour during August.

Tourism, which accounts for 11% of Spanish GDP, is set to break records once again in 2017, with the visitor numbers from August showing 10.43 million people visited the country during the month – the highest monthly figure ever.

The National Statistics Institute (INE) data showed that holidaymakers spent €11,324 million in Spain during August; which works out at €15.25 million each and every hour.

British tourists alone threw €2,418 million in the Spanish economy during August, which is an increase of 6.3% over last year and accounts for over a fifth of all economic activity from foreign tourists.

French and German holidaymakers increased their spending as well; by 3.1% and 4.1% respectively. The highest increase was found with Scandinavian tourists, who spent a total of €558 million in Spain during august, a whopping 31% increase over last year.

Outside of the strongest markets, the rest of the world spent an average of 16.7 more in Spain; accounting for 45.5% of the total amount spent in the country.

When looked at as a year-to-date figure, the first eight months of the year saw €60,461 million spent in Spain by tourists, a 14.2% increase over last year and a great indication that 2017 will set new records. Brits are set to account for around 20.4% of overall foreign spending in Spain for 2017 (€12,316 million), an annual increase of 10.9%.

Survey Shows Choosing the Right Supermarket in Spain saves Up to €3,000

The cost of living in Spain is still 

considerably cheaper than Northern Europe

Survey Shows Choosing the Right Supermarket in Spain saves Up to €3,000

The price differences between the cheapest and most expensive supermarkets in Spain could be as much as €3,013 per year for some regions according to a new consumer group study.

If you’re shopping at Alcampo – the cheapest Spanish supermarket chain – in Madrid, then you could be spending an average of €2,850 a year to feed your family; much less than the €7,329 per year you would be spending with Sanchez Romero; the most expensive supermarket chain.

The survey was performed by the Organization for Consumers and Users (OCU) and it found that the average disparity between the cheapest and most expensive stores in Spain is €909 per year.

Madrid and Barcelona are where the most expensive Spanish supermarkets can be found, with the city of Granada in Andalucía is home to the cheapest; the Dani Supermarket of Melchor Almagro Street, which is beloved by students for the cheap prices. Alcampo in Vigo is the second-cheapest Spanish supermarket, followed by an additional three Dani chains in Granada.

The city of Granada has the distinction of being the cheapest city in Spain for grocery shopping. The average shopping bill is around €4,051 per year for the city. The figure could be lower if more people stuck with Dani, but the OCU analysis wished to paint a broad and realistic picture of Spanish grocery prices.

The data analysed over 164,000 prices across 1,137 stores across Spain, covering 233 different products in total including fresh food, hygiene commodities, and drugs. There’s less choice in the smaller cities, making Crudad Real and Segovia two of the most expensive Spanish cities.

The cheapest chains after Alcampo were Mercadona, Simply Market, Carrefour, Maxi Dia, Eroski, and Lidl. Mercadona was the cheapest option for around half of all the Spanish cities in the study.

El Corte Ingles, Carrefour Express, and Supercor were some of the more expensive chains.

The data from the OCU shows that the German supermarket chain Lidl increased their prices by 4.3% compared to last year – the highest such increase in Spain – while Lupa, BM Urban, and Mas y Mas dropped their prices by between 2 and 3% compared to last year.

Mortgage Approvals Increase 33% in Spain in Summer

The banks in Spain are slowly relaxing there rules and giving

mortgages again 

Mortgage Approvals Increase 33% in Spain in Summer

The latest data from the Spanish National Statistics Institute (INE) shows that mortgage approvals during July increased 32.9% compared to the same month in 2016. 

The data shows that some 24,863 home mortgages in total were granted across Spain in one single month. The average value of the mortgages also increased 3.8% year-over-year to €119, 613. 

Overall Spanish banks loaned out a total of €2.97 billion in July, an 38% increase on the July of last year. 

Things get interesting when comparing it to the month of June, as mortgage approvals dropped 15.8% in July compared to June. The likely cause for this is that July is the peak of the holiday season, when many potential buyers are focusing on spending time on the beach rather than spending their money on investments. 

Andalucía in the Costa del Sol saw the most home mortgages granted, as 4,577 mortgages were approved in July. This was ahead of Madrid and Catalonia, which saw a respective 4,379 and 4,348 mortgages approved. 

The popularity of Andalucía is kept high thanks to places such as Marbella, which has become one of the most popular choices for second homes in Spain. British, Irish, German, and Scandinavian buyers alike can’t get enough of the area. 

It looks like the uncertainty of an independence “referendum” has done nothing to deter investors in Catalonia. The real estate consultancy firm Sotheby’s International Realty said that they have seen record sales in Catalonia as it appears investors are not nervous at all about the potential secession of the region. 

Idealista collated data for house prices in Barcelona that showed the average property in the city has increased in value by 9.2% across 2017, which is another sign that politics is having little to no effect on investment.

One thing is clear, buying property in Spain continues to be very popular.

Spain Welcomes Record Numbers of Tourists and Foreign Property Activity in First Half of 2017

Spain Welcomes Record Numbers of Tourists and Foreign Property Activity in First Half of 2017

Spain has had another record breaking summer 

The Spanish property market and tourism industry is performing as well as ever, according to the latest data from Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL) and the National Statistics Institute (INE). The data shows that several records were broken during the first half of 2017. 

Foreign investment in Spanish properties was pushed up to €888 million during the first half of the year, much higher than the amount spent during the first half of 2016; a paltry (by comparison) €330 million. 

JLL believe that overseas investors will snap up over €1 billion in Spanish property during 2017, which would make 2017 the eight year in a row where foreign investment in Spanish real estate has increased. 

Spain has been moving at full speed as far as tourism goes for several years now, but the latest data from the INE shows some 36.3 million tourists visited Spain during the first half of the year – which is the time BEFORE the busy summer months of July and August. 

This puts Spain in the position to smash through records set last year, and could mean over 80 million tourists visit the country in 2017, which would push Spain into the top spot for global tourism. 

There was another trend evident in the data; the connection between foreign property ownership and tourism. Around 8.5% of the tourists staying in Spain in 2017 did so in their own holiday accommodations; properties that had been purchased to be holidayed in. This marks the highest this figure has ever been, and it’s only going to increase.

It’s been a decade since the real estate crisis happened but now the Spanish property market appears to be thriving. People see the benefits of owning a Spanish property such as being able to better enjoy holidays and to relocate entirely. There’s no doubt Spain is set to see another record breaking year for international investment.

Data Shows Increase of 47% and 55% in Home Sales and Prices Respectively in Spain

Spain continues to recover and sales are on the up

Data Shows Increase of 47% and 55% in Home Sales and Prices Respectively in Spain

A report collating data about Spanish home sales and value has discovered that – during the first six months of the year – property sales increased 47% over the previous year, while the value of homes in recorded sales increased 55%. 

The data in the report comes from the global real estate firm Lucas Fox, which primarily operates in high-end markets. This is why the average property price in their portfolio during the past six months reached as high as €750,000, which is much higher than the Spanish average. Even so, it does say a lot about the health of the Spanish real estate sector. 

Home values in all price brackets increased steadily across Spain 2017. Even so, this 55% increase for the top level of properties is much higher than the rises seen in other parts of the country. The amount of homes Lucas Fox sold also offers a positive look at the wider national trends of Spain, with the country registering an increase in transactions for over 15 months in a row. 

The data also analysed where the property buyers came from. The number of British buyers dropped 10% over last year – likely do to the impact of Brexit on the pound against the Euro. On the other hand, buyers from the US and Canada made up 10% of the property purchases in Spain. 32% of the Spanish properties sold were purchased to be either a second home or an investment. 23% of the properties sold were sold as a primary residence. 

Lucas Fox co-founder Alexander Vaughn says that the Spanish economy is one of the fastest growing ones in the Eurozone. This is bringing a lot of confidence to the property market. There’s been more interest from property investors who now feel that Spanish real estate has a lot of potential for capital gains and profitability from rentals. Lucas Fox expects the price recovery being observed now in cities will soon spread to the rest of the country.

Agents from Lucas Fox said that they saw a 150% increase in Marbella property sales, with 80% of the increase coming from Scandinavian buyers.

Spain Takes Third Place in Expat Quality of Life Survey

Spain Takes Third Place in Expat Quality of Life Survey

The weather, food and welcoming people of Spain,

help keep Spain as a top destination

The latest InterNations survey places Spain as the third best place in the world to live as an expat. The poll, which is conducted each year, surveyed 12,500 expats to rate 43 aspects of life in their new home on a scale of one to seven.

InterNations – the largest expat network in the world – take the data and calculate average scores for each country with it. They published their top 17 ranking last week, with Portugal taking top place. The country climbed up 13 places, scoring well in terms of climate and leisure. Second place went to Taiwan.

Spain reaching third place was an improvement on the fourth place it reached last year, with expats praising the Spanish climate, cultural attractions, leisure options, and ability to support high levels of personal happiness. The other countries in the top five were Singapore in fourth place and the Czech Republic in fifth. The other noticeable rankings were Germany in 10^th place, Canada coming in 13^th, and New Zealand coming in 15^th.

Spain always performs well in surveys like this, as it always scores well when it comes to health, happiness, and leisure. The country would score poorly on economic and employment factors for a while though. As the economy of Spain continues to improve, the concerns about the job market and pay are much weaker than they used to be.

It goes without saying that the climate, cuisine, beaches, landscape, safety, security, and overall accessibility of Spain – the blend that makes it such a hot spot for tourism – forms the foundation for a number of successful and happy expats.

Sky Launches Low-Cost Streaming Services in Spain

Sky Launches Low-Cost Streaming Services in Spain

Sky tv finally comes to Spain legally 

The new Sky streaming service sounds great - €10 per month for streaming on three connected devices – but will it be able to meet Netflix in terms of content? The pay TV service market of Spain has recently welcomed a new challenger following the announcement of Sky launching a new streaming service. 

The broadcasting monolith owned by Rupert Murdoch launched their new service this month, with users able to stream content from 12 local pay-TV challens such as Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, TNT, SyFy, Fox, and National Geographic for €10 a month. 

Some of the flagship titles of the launch are Grey’s Anatomy, The Big Bang Theory, Marvel’s Avengers Assemble, and the Walking Dead. The Spanish TV streaming market currently encompasses Netflix, HBO, Amazon, and Movistar+, giving Spaniards more choice than ever before after being left in the dark for so long. 

The unique selling point for Sky is that viewers have the option to watch their content on up to three connected devices, including a Sky streaming box powered by Roku. It’s obvious that their goal is ensuring everyone in the family can watch what they want without having to argue about it and fight for who gets to control the remote. 

The company has also said the plan on becoming the leading streaming service in Europe, offering much more in terms of live and on-demand streams for Spain than Netflix or Amazon. 

Sky has over 22.5 million subscribers across the UK, Ireland, Germany, Italy, a

nd Austria. Many of these customers are those signed up to the traditional Sky packages that cost upwards of €29 a month. Launching a stripped-down streaming service for Spain priced at just €10 per month shows that Sky is leveraging their strong brand name and a contract-free streaming service with an audience that has proven themselves to be major television lvoers. 

It looks Spain could soon become one of the leaders of European home entertainment following years of unremarkable domestic programming.

Data Shows 48% of Brits who Moved to Spain Last Year were Retired

Data Shows 48% of Brits who Moved to Spain Last Year were Retired

Regardless of Brexit, Spain continues

to be the choice of retirees

The latest data from the Spanish Office of National Statistics (INE) showed around half of the 300,000 British citizens that moved to Spain in 2016 were retired. 48% of them were retired.

According to the data, three times as many Brits moved to Spain across 2016 than Spaniards moving to the UK. The demographics were also vastly different. Most of the Spaniards moving to the UK are aged 40 or under.

The amount of retirement-age Brits living in Spain has more than doubled across the past decade. Spain has become the destination of choice for British retirees because of the warm climate, affordable property, cheap flights, and EU membership, ensuring that pensions are index-linked to inflation and grow each year.

British pensioners also stand to receive free healthcare in Spain due to reciprocal agreements between Spain and the UK. The UK has become an attractive choice for young Spaniards seeking to advanced their careers and improve their English skills.

The data from the INE showed 22% of Brits registered in Spain were also employed in the country, with most of them working in hospitality or catering.

It seems that Brits like to live on the coast, with the Malaga Province – where the Costa del Sol can be found – is a perennial favourite; bringing in over 100,000 new UK immigrants across 2016.

The data also revealed Brits took an astonishing 13 million visits to Spain in 2016 (with a “visit” classed as any stay under 28 days), much higher than the 849,000 visits Spaniards made to the UK.

How Spain Lead in Weather, Energy, and Employment This Summer

How Spain Lead in Weather, Energy, and Employment This Summer

August in Edinburgh is a time for comedy and performance arts on the chilly streets during the Fringe Festival. In France it means that it’s almost impossible to reach anyone in any office as the whole country seems to flock to the campsites across the southern reaches of the country. For the British and the Germans it means getting away from the unpredictability of their own weather and heading to the warmer climates of Spain.

All of this seems to go down like clockwork each year, but Spain has a few tricks ready to make sure this year is even more impressive.

The first of these is pretty obvious, as the mercury could reach beyond 40C for holidaymakers relaxing on the Spanish shoreline. Some places, such as the inland regions to the south, could experience temperatures all the way up to 45C.

This is the kind of heat that – while not the highest it’s ever been – is still well above average. The temperatures could also mean that Spain is currently the hottest country in Europe; which would be quite the accolade given the heatwaves affecting much of the southeast of Europe.

There’s more than just this however. Spain isn’t content with topping the charts for just the temperature; posting a drop in unemployment for the sixth month in a row. This means the country has seen a much more sustainable rate of recovery for employment than any other European country.

Spain still isn’t finished. This week it was revealed that Spain will be closing its oldest nuclear power plant as there isn’t enough support from local people and politicians to keep it open. The Santa Maria de Garona plant to the north of Spain hasn’t been active since 2013, and is now set to close officially as Spain embraces renewable energy sources; primarily solar power and wind power.

These three things might sound disconnected, and they are in some ways. Even so, they show the bigger picture of a country that is confident, growing, popular, and making all the right choices for keeping things healthy in the long term.

Spain Looks to Once Again go All Out on Solar Power

Spain Looks to Once Again go All Out on Solar Power 

Solar power is becoming popular again, thanks to a change in policy

Nothing boosts the economy in Spain quite like the sunshine that goes strong for upwards of 320 days out of the year. Whether it’s the tourists looking for fun in the sun or the olive groves, the sunny climate of Spain make it a top holiday destination, one of the leading producers of wine, olives, fruits, and vegetables, and even a stunning backdrop for major Hollywood blockbusters and TV programs like Game of Thrones. 

There is one thing that the sunshine hasn’t delivered for a while though, and that’s reliable solar power. Spain became a world leader for solar power between 2008 and 2010, with sweeping transformations that turned practically the whole country into a vast solar farm pumping free and clean energy straight to the Spanish power grid. 

It was a matter of time before homeowners wanted to get in on the action, and the government supported it at first by offering homeowners who installed solar panels some generous rates; essentially paying for people to generate their own solar power and feed it into the grid. 

But the solar boom of Spain, much like the property boom, grew at too rapid a pace. The government quickly came to realise that their generosity could have damaging repercussions. As more people switched to solar power, the government ran out of money to support their solar policy. The new government of 2012 started looking at ways to take back some of the money that had been spent on solar power, and introduced a controversial “sun tax”; charging people for exporting their excess power back to the grid. 

The future of solar power in Spain went from bright to overcast in a single move. Things stayed like this until recently this year when the government – perhaps feeling bolder after securing a second term and boosting the economy – decided to auction renewable energy. The premise of these auctions would be supporting renewable energy projects based on the best offers made by companies when possible. 

Wind power was the initial winner of these schemes, but the latest government-backed auction from this week saw solar power win pretty big and win the right to develop 3.5 gigawatts (GW) of brand new solar projects. This equates to around two-thirds of the current installed capacity, and the projects should be finished by 2020. 

There are plenty of benefits to this including helping Spainto meet carbon emission reduction targets, improving air quality and reducingpollution, and lowering the energy bills of consumers.

Experts Predict 10 Property Sales Increase of 10% for Spain

The prices continue to increase in Spain

Experts Predict 10 Property Sales Increase of 10% for Spain

Summer is reaching its peak and bringing optimism with it, especially to the Spanish property market, which has already performed excellently this year. 

There is so much positivity and confidence flowing through the Spanish real estate industry that the Spanish bank BBVA has predicted 2017 will see an increase in property sales of 10% compared to last year.

Most notable is that BBVA believes over 500,000 Spanish homes are going to sell during 2017, surpassing the annual threshold that hasn’t been surpassed since before the economic troubles began in 2007.

A performance like this would break the positive forecast put out by the bank at the start of the year – in an upturn created by how well the Spanish economy is recovering on practically all fronts.

BBVA are also expecting a 3% increase in the average national price. The bank stated in their last report that the typical price-per-square metre in 2017 will increase to €1,570, which will bring prices to the same level of 2004. Unlike 2004 however, there is a much bigger regional variation; as prices in places such as the Costa del Sol, Madrid, and Barcelona are expected to be much higher than average.

Official notary data released in May shows that the average price of properties was €1,318 per square metre, which would mean that additional monthly price increases are likely to happen before the country reaches the estimate from the BBVA.

Data Shows Spain Made €60 billion From Tourists Last Year

Data Shows Spain Made €60 billion From Tourists Last Year

Spain broke all tourism records in Europe 

The latest data from the UN World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) shows that tourism provided the Spanish economy with €60 billion across last year – which is more than for any other country except for the USA.

The difference is that Spain’s tourism numbers are growing, while America’s are contracting following the election of President Donald Trump. Not only is Spain’s tourism industry growing, but it’s growing at a rate higher than any other leading destination.

The figures from the UNWTO show that the US received €173 billion from tourism in 2016, which makes it the clear winner. Spain came in second, followed by Thailand and China for tourism revenue.

The UK – which came in third place in 2015 – dropped to seventh. The country made €29 billion from tourism, which is the lowest figure for some time. Experts believe that the Brexit – and the effects of the decision – are to blame for this drastic drop.

An interesting figure is that of France, which came in fifth place for tourism revenue in the world in 2016, even though UNTWO figures suggest the country received the highest overall number of visitors. This would suggest that people visiting France do so fleetingly; whether it’s because they are passing through the country on their way to other neighbouring countries, or just because they stay for a few days.

France topped the charts of overall visitor numbers thanks to some 82.6 million visitors across 2016. The US came in second with 75.61 million tourists, followed by Spain with 75.56 million visitors.

What is interesting is how quickly change is happening and the directions of the change. American tourism dropped 3% between 2015 and 2016, and continues to fall across 2017. France saw a 2% drop between 2015 and 2016, and it’s expected the fall will be greater this year following recent terrorism threats.

Spain, however, saw an increase in visitor numbers of 10% across 2016, and all the signs are there for an even stronger 2017; which could leave Spain clinching the top spot by the end of the year.

Spain Set for Fifth Consecutive Annual Increase in Tourism

Spain Set for Fifth Consecutive Annual Increase in Tourism 

Tourism continues to break all records 

Spain is set to smash through the tourism figures of last year, which would mean Spain will register five consecutive years of annual increases in visitor numbers according to the latest data from tourism industry group Exceltur. 

The group is forecasting that tourism in 2017 could increase 4.17% over last year, which translates to around 80 million tourists heading to Spain. 

Over 75 million tourists headed to the Spanish sun last year, and Exceltur’s estimate is higher than the current 3.2% estimated increase. The upgrade comes as a result of a better-than-expected spring and Easter season, as well as a fine beginning to the summer season. 

Exceltur commented on their reassessment of Spanish tourism figures, saying that the change came as a result of strong increases in foreign demand. 

Spain has been a perennial favourite destination for summer package holidays, but the growing reputation the country has as a hub for weekend breaks in the city is having a strong impact on the numbers. Cities across the country recorded record numbers of overnight stays during the first half of the year, with some 2.7 million visitors staying overnight in Madrid alone between January and May; an increase of 19% over 2016. 

Barcelona has always been popular of course, but now other cities such as Valencia, Bilbao, Malaga, Cordoba, and Seville are seeing increases in popularity. The Vice President of Eceltur José Luiz Zoreda believes it is the combination of climate, accessibility, and perception of safety – following the recent terror attacks of London, Paris, and Berlin – that makes Spain so popular and attractive to tourists.

A drop in tourism across other countries has seen an increase in Spanish tourism. Exceltur estimates Spain is “borrowing” around 15 million tourists that would otherwise have visited countries such as Egypt, Turkey, Tunisia, and France. 

In terms of nationality, Brits are still the most dominant tourist group, prompting Zoreda to suggest that the “Brexit effect” is something that just isn’t being felt in Spain. The number of American visitors has increased 19%, while there has been a massive increase of 35% in Asian tourists; most of whom come from China.

Study Finds Spain Most Active EU Country

While Spain is currently being cooked by the kind of sweltering heat that is good for exercising in, the fact Spain sees so much warm weather all-year-long is no doubt one of the reasons that it is the most active country in the European Union.

Researchers from the Stanford University in America tracked average step counts of people across 46 countries based on data from their smartphones.

The study showed that the average Spaniard walks 5,936steps, putting the country ahead of every other country in the EU. Hong Kong was the most active country on a global scale, with China and Japan coming in second and third. Indonesia came in last.

The Spanish proved to be much more active than the rest of Europe. The rest of the top five was made up of Sweden, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, and Britain. The Greeks came in last for Europe, averaging around 4,400 steps each day.

The reason behind the research was to assess the correlation between activity and obesity and heart disease rates. This is one example where correlation is in fact causation. Hong Kong is one of the most active countries and also the country with some of the lowest heart disease and obesity rates there is. Hong Kong was also the country that saw the smallest gap between the most and least active walkers. The study showed there was also a connection between the size of this gap and obesity rates.

The Stanford professors refer to it as an “activity in equality” and say that it is a good indicator of the general health of the population of a country. Hong Kong scored top in the world with a rating of 22.2, while Spain was able to place in the global top 10 with a rating of 26.1.

Following the data would make the least active countries the USA, Saudi Arabia, Australia, and Canada – which also happen to be the countries with the largest carbon footprints in the world per capita.

Given the active nature of Australians however, it looks like step-count data isn’t enough by itself to determine the health of a nation.

For Spain however, the combination of an outdoors lifestyle, Mediterranean diet, and solid balance between work and life have apparently created one of the healthiest countries there is.

IMF Predicts Greater Economic Improvement for Spain in 2017

Spain has to be the best place to live in the EU and has so much 

going for it.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) upgraded the economic outlook for Spain this week based on the explosion of the tourism sector, strong export market, and growing demand from domestic consumers.

The Spanish economy is now expected to grow by 3.1% according to the IMF. It’s last forecast from April suggested the Spanish economy would grow by 2.6% in 2017.

The upgrade means that Spain is one of the leaders of the EU when it comes to economic success and growing GDP. The IMF added that it was impossible to rule out the idea that Spain might be upgraded again later in the year, especially if more records are broken in the tourism sector this year.

It’s more than just the perpetual attraction of the country for holidaymakers that is boosting the Spanish economy. The IMF were also keen to praise how the government’s reforms in the economy and labour market created momentum, stressing the growing consumer confidence and demand. Altogether, it could create a virtuous circle where money is spent, jobs are created, and the economy expands.

While the government should be trying harder to tackle the problems of youth unemployment and wage suppression, the performance of the Spanish export sector shows the quality of the standards and the competitive nature of Spanish industry according to the IMF.

Spanish GDP rose by 3.2% last year, with growth of over 2.5% in 2015. When it comes to 2018, economists believe that the Spanish economy will continue to grow, especially as the construction and property sectors continue to grow and offer their support.