Tourism-related gross domestic product is expected to grow by 2.7% over the full year, after rising 3.4% in the second quarter as foreign arrivals increased.
Spain benefited from a reorientation of tourist flows linked to the conflict in the Middle East, as visitors were drawn by the country’s reputation as a safe destination, the group said.
A tourist sunbathes on an air mattress with her phone on the Amadores beach in the south of the island of Gran Canaria, Spain, Aug. 3, 2021. Photo by Reuters |
We expect this effect to continue, at least this year,” Exceltur’s vice-president Oscar Perelli told a news conference, saying the uncertainty has “intensified again” in the wake of renewed strikes by the U.S. and Iran.
Tourist revenues were boosted by the rise in arrivals and higher spending per visitor.
Foreign tourist spending rose 8.2% in the second quarter compared with the same period last year, while Spanish residents increased their domestic tourism spending by 8.3%.
The figures also reflected an upmarket shift in tourism, with Spaniards increasingly choosing higher-end accommodation.
Overnight stays at four-and five-star hotels rose 3.6%, according to Exceltur data.
The group forecast a “positive summer” for tourism businesses, with sales expected to rise 3.2%, although it warned the rise in energy costs due to the Middle East conflict could weigh on the outlook.
Spain, the world’s second-largest tourism destination by visitor numbers after France, welcomed a record 96.8 million foreign visitors last year. Nearly half, 45%, came from Britain, France and Germany.
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