MADRID—Foreign tourist arrivals in Spain last year fell 2.6 percent to 57.4 million for the first annual loss in 12 years as economic woes hit the key generating markets of France, Britain and Germany, the government announced.
Sixty-four percent of foreigners stayed in hotels, 2.2 percent fewer than in 2007, while visitors opting for alternative accommodations were down by 3.5 percent.
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| Joan Mesquida, secretary of state for tourism, Spain |
In response, some hoteliers are offering discounts of up to 15 percent through tour operators. The country’s main hotel association is urging Spaniards to vacation at home this year to help offset the loss of foreigners. “We are seeing a negative trend which could extend well into 2009,” said Secretary of State for Tourism Joan Mesquida in announcing the disappointing results. “We continue to depend on the evolution of the three big generating markets.”
French visitors in 2008 numbered 8.1 million, or 8.5 percent fewer than in 2007 while 15.7 million Britons vacationed in Spain, a 3-percent drop compared to the previous year.
The number of German tourists remained steady at 10 million.
Visitor totals from other important markets were also down with Italy off 5.8 percent, Belgium falling 4.7 percent, Portugal down 3.5 percent and Switzerland sending 6.7 percent fewer tourists.
Only the visitors from Scandinavian countries and Ireland registered gains, while visitors from the United States fell by 1.5 percent, the government said.
The key Spanish regional destinations most affected were Catalonia (-6.7 percent), Andalusia (-4 percent) and the Canary Islands (-1 percent). Regions which saw foreign tourist numbers increase were Madrid (+3.6 percent) and the Balearic Islands (+1.4 percent).
In the Balearic Islands, the destination popular with sun-and-sea seeking northern Europeans, the president of the local Association of Hotel Chains, Aurelio Vázquez, admitted that this year would be “difficult and complicated” for its members with occupancy rates predicted to be down by between 15 percent and 20 percent.
However, he said “there is still time to boost sales” and that the chains were working with international tour operators to offer early booking schemes with discounts of between 10 percent and 15 percent.
Meanwhile, Joan Molas, the president of the Spanish Confederation of Hotels and Tourism Accommodations, called on Spaniards to eschew foreign holidays.
“This should be the year to stay at home,” he said at a press conference, noting that 73 percent of confederation members expected a fall in Spanish guests in the first four months of 2009, and 78 percent predicted fewer foreign guests over the same period.