Has Spain "lost its way" in Tourism ?

When you see the way far-off destinations like Dubai and Sharm El Sheike are ramping up the tourism offering with fantastic Hotels water parks and  resorts it must makes you realise why Spain is on the slide.

With increasing flight charges to these ( Far off) destinations and the laws on alcohol  and the local laws restricting even kissing in public its a wonder how they plough on with expansion in the deserts. 

Surely Spain has " the better climate" is less than half the flying time and has the beaches and hotels to compete but whats missing is the Spanish Regional and National Government`s "lack of any vision" .  A typical example being the Paramount Park Resort Murcia which has been "on and off" for years.

If this continues watch out for Spain slipping down the list of popular destinations......     

 It is a good question, and actually I think it is in part that Spain has to make very little effort to stay as the most popular destination - cheap and cheerful being the attraction.     But I also think that Spain has lost its way in tourism, and became too embroiled in construction for second homes - much more lucrative in the short term, but not a solution in the long term.   It really does have to reinvent itself I think - or go back to basics.    Sadly, it is not as easy as building the odd theme park because theme parks in Spain have struggled over the last few years.

For a family holiday, the Costas in Spain can be prohitively expensive and hotel prices in Barcelona are eye-watering! Many Barcelona hotels charge double for two people in a double room! Some of the restaurants on Las Ramblas are nothing better than fast food rip-offs charging top dollar for junk food. Of course, Barcelona doesn't need nor want long term visitors, it wants business people during the week and hen parties and suchlike at weekends.

However, get off the beaten track and Spain is beautiful with extremely cheap food and accommodation available. A few years ago it cost me less for four nights in three different 3Star+ Spanish hotels than it did for one night in the Plymouth Holiday Inn. Spain falls over when it comes to keeping the youngsters entertained with the theme parks charging stupid prices. The last that we went to was in Benidorm and there were no queues as very few Spanish people will pay those prices. Spain depends on a tourist trade that little effort is being made to cultivate. It is not enough to have sunshine anymore as other resorts are offering much more for cheaper.

However, it would be very difficult to persuade the average Spaniard that building theme parks is the way to invigorate the economy when there is an unemployment rate of 25%+ with more than 50% of those below 25 years of age unable to find a job. I have professional Spanish friends desperate to find a job but there is absolutely nothing available. Spain will probably take many many years to recover from a poorly regulated building industry induced economic collapse. The country was just unfortunate that its crisis happened at the same time as the European banking crisis.

It's true that Spain has made very little effort over the last ten years (or even more).  The powers that be have taken it for granted that other Europeans - especially the Brits - will go to Spain for the weather, low cost of flights and the image of being "cheap and cheerful".  It needs to reinvent itself as an activity destination - people are generally more discerning these days and don't want to just lie on the beach for the whole holiday.  Destinations like Dubai are doing well as they are seen to be more exotic - I used to live there - it has some fantastic beaches. Although its further, some people don't mind - Spain is seen to be "common place" - nothing wrong with that. Depends on the target market.

Spain no longer has a good reputation for being a great place to go - stories such as the ones recently about not allowing EU medical cards to be used dont help.  Nor do stories about legal properties being demolished... I could go on.  All the same, Spain is a great place to go on holiday... we go walking most years.

 We are all in agreement so I am not trying to be argumentative - BUT Spain is STILL the number one destination for UK holiday makers.  I think it will have to start falling down the list before it starts to reflect on what must be done!!

You're right Roly. As you say, it will need to start falling down the list before it will do anything...

 I agree with you that the sensation is that it is losing it's way as there is no reinvestment into the industry and things start to look tatty and dated and service isn't necessarily as good. But if you are looking for  abudget holiday Spain still comes up trumps, according the figures Spain is on the up, as last year it surpassed the all time high of 2007 in holiday visitors and this year it has grwon another 3,5%. Spain had just over 49 million tourists last year and in 2007 it recieved 47,5 million. I don't think Dubai receives that many. It seems the stories that people talk about don't seem to be having much affect on the visitor numbers. Maybe income is less as prices are generally lower but people still consider Spain as a primary option.

I think we are all in agreement, its easy to see so much fantastic potencial in Spain.

Many will also agree that Spain is largely undiscovered. More to Spain than the costas the beach and sea.  We had a motorhome and toured about Spain and saw many wonderful places.  You wont find a more beautiful place in Europe that Andalucia and the road from Murcia the Malaga it just takes your breath away .  As one poster says activity holidays, climbing and walking are some of the ways forward but the Ministry of Tourism needs to do more to promote these areas.  

 Given that tourism is probably Spains largest industry and contributor to the economy plus, just think of the desparatly needed jobs expanding tourism would bring.   

 I agree entirely. The Tourist office really need to start promoting other areas of Spain, city breaks for winter tourism, rural holidays and as you say activity holidays. It has one of the most varied lanscapes in Europe and has areas to offer all year round but it seems that it is just a coastal destination for the majority of foreignors.

The tourism industry and the construction industry are inextricably entwined, possibly the Nos 1 & 2 of Spain's ecconomy. Yet it is nothing short of astounding the way the county seems to shoot itself in the foot, and nothing is fully thought through. Anything that could rock either of these industries should be examined microscopically to ensure only good things happen. However, in the past few days an enormous blunder has been enacted, effective from 1st January 2014. Few travellers and Spain watchers will be unaware of the staggering number of empty properties all over the country, with figures varying from 675,000 up to 2.2 million; either of which is an indictment of previous gross ineptitude from government, banks, builders and the like.

On 19th November 2012 the government announced a master stroke to solve this problem; foreigners buying properties of Euros 160,000 and above, would get residency, and as did Bulgaria, did not make actual physical presence here mandatory. The solution was almost faultless, and I for one raised my glass at this forward looking final solution to deserted estates and mass unemployed in the construction indudtry.

Alas it was not to be. On Friday the announcement was Euros 500,000 is the minimum property purchase, and 183 days a year must be spent in Spain. Opportunity wrecked !!!