The Government anticipates that tourism will encourage slightly at the end of the year —in part by comparison with the sudden drop of the last part of the last year— and that by 2018 close to skimming the historical figures of the past year, when exceeded for the first time the 80 million foreign tourists. The public agency Turespaña expected, with a growth in arrivals of 2.1% in the fourth quarter, 2018 closing with a slight decrease of 0.1% compared to last year’s numbers. If confirmed, it would be the first year without a record of arrivals after five maximums in a row. Yes there will be a new record in spending that will go above the 89.000 million euros.
According to the latest forward-looking Report of the International Tourism to Spain which elaborates quarterly the public agency Turespaña, corresponding to the fourth quarter of the year, the number of tourists will grow in the fourth quarter of 2018 and in January 2019 2.1% compared to the same period last year. Applying that increase to the figures for the last quarter of last year, it would mean that in the last quarter would come to Spain 15,97 million tourists. That figure, combined with the 66,22 million foreigners have visited Spain up to September, giving a total of 82,19 million tourists by the close of the year, a 0.4% more.
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it Would be a new record of arrival of foreigners, the sixth consecutive, but the agency makes clear that it applies some correction mechanisms after which is a decrease of 0.1% compared to last year. Until September, the number of arrivals has been reduced by 0.004%. In any case, a figure “positive” in a year in which the touristic phenomenon has slowed down in Spain for various reasons, among them the recovery of competing destinations in the Mediterranean, such as Turkey, Tunisia or Egypt, which, recovered from episodes of violence and instability, attract european travelers interested in sun and beach at prices lower than those of Spain. Says Turespaña in the final stretch of the year, “the projections less rosy in the previous quarter seem to be corrected to the upside, thanks principalmenteal good data of September”.
On the expenditure side, Turespaña expected —and celebrated— that it continues to grow at a faster pace than arrivals. According to their estimates, the expenditure of tourists —it is not exactly the Bahis Siteleri money that stays in Spain, since it includes, for example, the price of the plane ticket— will increase to 2.5% in the fourth quarter. Applying that growth to last year’s numbers (which would give a total of 17.386,3 million euros) and added the figure to the expense has already been recorded until September (71.772,9 million), giving a total of 89.159,2 million, 2.5% more than last year.
Increases in Portugal and the U.S.
The number of tourist expenditure, says Turespaña, “presents positive figures for the majority of markets, even for those that show slight reversals in the arrival of tourists.” It highlights the growth of the expenditure of the Portuguese, with a projected increase over 14% in spending and 9.8% in arrivals, and the united States and the Netherlands, with increases greater than 7% in expenditure. On the contrary, highlights the decreases in arrivals of british and in arrivals and spending of the germans. “The projections less rosy [for the period] are precisely the markets that contribute the largest volume of international tourists to our country, such as the United Kingdom and Germany, both with negative rates and signs of a change of trend for several periods,” the report says.
In any case, the global data are, for the secretary of State for Tourism, Isabel Oliver, “these data are very positive, confirming that we are going in the right direction, and again displayed the strength and leadership of tourism of our country in a more competitive environment than in previous years”.
From the Government and from a good part of the tourism sector insists that the important thing is to put the accent on the expenditure of tourists, more than in their number. To achieve longer stays, increased disbursement in the destination, attracting tourists from markets with more spending capacity, diversify the destinations by going beyond the sun and beach, spread and raise the quality –and price – of the offer, to not concentrate too in the summer months are the points in which emphasize to counter without a loss of income for an eventual decline in arrivals for the return of tourists, provided by the competitors in mediterranean and by the saturation of certain destinations.
