According to figures released last week from the Egatur tourism expenditure survey conducted by the Ministry of Industry, Energy and Tourism, spending by international tourists visiting Spain reached 20,129 million euros up until the end of May, which represents an increase of 9.1% over the same period in 2013.
This data suggests that tourism and shopping tourism go hand-in-hand. Spain, increasingly, is seeing a rise in the number of tourists of different nationalities, who are attracted not only by the country’s weather and the high degree of cultural heritage, but also by the shopping tourism possibilities.
Traditionally tourists visiting Spain have come from Europe and North America, but now the country is receiving a large number of Asian and South American visitors, and to a lesser extent, visitors from Africa. During a meeting in Madrid last week, attended by representatives of various associations and tourism institutions, major Spanish brands and members and associates of the UNWTO, to discuss new projects and improvements which will increase quality tourism in Spain, the Secretary General of the UNWTO, Taleb Rifai, highlighted the increase in tourism in Spain in the first five months of 2014 and said: “shopping tourism is a new phenomenon spreading throughout the world connecting the public and private sector, with the intention of promoting a destination, shopping being one of the main factors which improves the economy”.
The Spanish Leading Brands President, José Luis Bonet, said that Spain receives 60 million tourists each year and that the majority of Spanish cities are meeting the high expectations of the foreign tourist, but that both brands as well as services are having to offer a wider range of possibilities in order to enhance the touristic offer and keep the tourists coming.
The first General Secretary of Culture of the Embassy of the Republic of China, Gang Ping, drew attention to the difficulties faced by the Chinese tourist in getting a visa to visit Spain, and in addition he pointed out that the Chinese traveller is also looking for gastronomy, culture and shopping for luxury goods.
The Advisory Minister from the Russian Federation Embassy, Sergey M. Melik-Bagdasaro, said the Russian tourist is a consumer and faithful, but that things should be made easier. He also emphasised that Spain is very attractive for the Russian traveller as it is considered to be a great shopping destination.
The conclusion reached after the meeting is that tourism shopping or shopping are a motivation for choosing which destination to travel to, and the attendees agreed that, “the tourism sector in Spain is on track”.