The recovery of tourism has been a reality this summer and millions of tourists have been traveling to Spain after two years of pandemic during which restrictions and fear of the coronavirus caused their numbers to drop dramatically.
The vast majority choose Spain for its pleasant climate, beaches, and cultural wealth in the form of churches, monuments and museums. Still, a survey shows that many European tourists consider the country a destination for going out and partying.
The survey by a search engine Jetcost was done as part of a study on Europeans' holidays in the summer of 2022. The study was conducted among 2,500 people over the age of 18 and the findings are surprising, to say the least.
Firstly, all participants were asked if Spain was their only holiday destination this summer, to which 85% said yes. They were then asked what the main reason for their trip to Spain was, and they were able to give three reasons.
Main reasons for traveling to Spain:
- To enjoy the sea and beaches (83%)
- To enjoy gastronomy (76%)
- To visit monuments and tourist attractions (71%)
- Going out to party (69%)
- Shopping in stores (66%)
- Enjoy the good weather (58%)
- Visit museums (53%)
- Visit churches and cathedrals (47%)
- Enjoy the beautiful landscape and nature (40%)
- Visit villages/countryside (38%)
- Participate in popular festivals (25%)
Digging a little deeper, the respondents were asked who had chosen Spain to party and how often they went out to drink alcohol during their holidays. Their answers were: every day (64%), half the days (22%), and a third of the days (14%).
The survey also asked if they had stayed in a hotel this summer, to which 87% responded positively. They were then asked if they had been totally "proper" in the hotel or if they had done anything out of line. 90% said they had broken one of the hotel rules and had not been totally appropriate. They were then asked to choose from a list of answers the five things they did the most.
Here are the most common acts of incivility:
- Filling their plates to the brim at the buffet and not eating everything (81%)
- Leave the air conditioning on in the room all day (71%)
- Taking food from the buffet even if it is forbidden (65%)
- Throwing towels on the floor to change them every day (58%)
- Leaving the towel on the lounge chair at the pool all day (56%)
- Keep unused toiletries in the suitcase each day for replacement (45%)
- Smoking with the window open in a non-smoking room (40%)
- Having a party in the room with loud music (38%)
- Keeping toilet paper in a cupboard so that the hotel will use more (26%)
- Swimming in the pool when it is closed (23%)
- Drink bottles from the mini-bar and fill them with water or fruit juice (18%)
- Asking for the room to be done when the "do not disturb" sign has been forgotten (17%)
- Putting an extra person in the room (4%)
- Makeup that they are on their honeymoon to see if they can get a better room or a gift (3%)