Surge in holidaymakers continues: Visitors outnumber resident population as tourism shoots up by over 10%
Thursday, November 3, 2016 @ 10:56 AM
HOLIDAYMAKERS continue to flock to Spain in unprecedented numbers – and the Indian summer is proving a huge help for the tourism industry, with beaches still full up on parts of the east and south coast, a rare sight in November.
Up to and including September alone, a total of 60.3 million visitors had travelled to Spain – the equivalent of one-and-a-third of its population and a rise of 10.1% year-on-year.
And although July and August are peak holiday season in Spain, September alone saw a whopping 7.9 million foreign tourists arriving.
Of these, a total of two million – just over a quarter – were from the UK, which continues to be one of Spain's largest holidaymaker markets.
Reports from the National Institute of Statistics (INE) say British visitors were up 12.8% on last September 'despite Brexit', although it must be remembered that 'Brexit' has not happened yet and is unlikely to until at least early 2019.
Many package holidays will have been booked before the Brexit referendum and, results of this aside, Spain remains the safest short-haul sunshine destination and one of the cheapest, especially in September when the much higher school summer holiday prices no longer apply.
If this situation continues, even after Brexit happens and despite the weaker pound sterling, it is likely Spain will remain the most-affordable beach holiday spot – and British weather will still mean residents want to seek some sunshine for a week or two a year, whatever else they have to sacrifice financially.
Read more at thinkSPAIN.com