“We are closely monitoring the economic situation in Germany, because that is where a large part of our tourists come from and, if there is anything we have learned during the pandemic [de Covid-19], it is to anticipate events,” confides Maria Frontera, president of the Federation of Hoteliers of Majorca (Balearic Islands).
Despite the uncertainties linked to the economic situation, Spain expects to break attendance records this summer, after two lean years. For the kingdom’s tourism, on which 13% of jobs and 12.5% of gross domestic product (GDP) depended before the onset of the health crisis, this long-awaited restart is a relief, because the coronavirus has left tracks. “We had to change our working methods and get used to last minute bookings. In 2022, we were able to anticipate demand that was set to be very strong,” add Mme Frontera.
According to the latest official estimates, just over 30 million international tourists visited the country in the first six months of 2022, almost six times more than in the same period of 2021. “This represents 80% of the pre-pandemic volume “, declared, Tuesday August 2, the Minister of Tourism, Reyes Maroto, speaking of results “extraordinary”. This summer, she said, tourists “spend more and stay longer”.
Despite the inflationary spiral, which reduces the purchasing power of visitors and the margins of the sector, “the travel fever that has spread throughout Europe in recent months” resulted in a “Dazzling rebound in attendance”, had underlined, at the beginning of July, Exceltur, the employers’ federation of the field. The momentum should continue for the rest of the season.
“Sharp increase in costs”
The British were the first to enjoy the Spanish sun (6.5 million), followed by the Germans (4.4 million) and the French (3.9 million). They mainly visited the Balearic Islands (26.3%), Catalonia (21.6%) and Andalusia (13.5%). A providential windfall for a sector damaged by the Covid-19, which had broken all records in 2019: 83.7 million tourists had then spent more than 92 billion euros in Spain.
Downside to this exponential growth: the influx of tourists will not be fully reflected in the results of companies in the sector, faced with “a sharp increase in costs, especially in energy (+ 25%) and food (+ 16%), which can only be partially passed on to prices”, explains Exceltur, which evokes an uncertain autumn.
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