The recent tourism boom on Spanish territory has come as a welcome boost to an ailing economy. The British have been returning in droves to Spain.
Spain used to be the standard destination for British tourists, its islands being one of the most popular destinations for British youth for a number of decades.
After the recession and the tendency for young travelers to explore other countries, Spain is now beginning to recover and take advantage of the competition’s problems in North Africa and the fact that Spain is growing in popularity again.
In difficult economic times, the extra Euros are very welcome. Destinations such as Tenerife and Lanzarote are particularly popular for holidaymakers from the UK and Germany.
Spain welcomed 20.9 million tourists to its shores in June, July and August this year, which is an 8.5% improvement on 2010. Most of these tourists came from Britain, Germany, the Netherlands and France.
Much of this success could be put down to political turmoil in places such as Egypt and Tunisia, whereby the tourists are scared to go there and are returning to the traditional Spanish destinations. This good news on the tourism front is helping to keep the country afloat.
Cheap package holidays to the Balearic and Canary islands have enjoyed massive popularity, especially for large groups of young males. Successfully advertising campaigns aimed at such target groups are now bearing fruit.
The troubles of competitors on the other side of the Mediterranean have merely acted as a catalyst in bringing tourists back to Spain.