Costa News Spain Breaking News | English News in Spain.
ANDALUCIA is about to announce its finest ever tourism season due to record-breaking income from worldwide guests.
The interval from January to July is on observe to ship almost €10.6 billion in income, introduced Tourism Minister Arturo Bernal – a 5% improve in comparison with final 12 months.
In July alone, the area noticed a outstanding €2 billion in income from worldwide guests, a historic excessive.
Pending figures for August and July, Bernal referred to as it ‘presumably the perfect summer season within the historical past of Andalucia.’
“By way of revenues, we’re round €2 billion within the month of July – by no means in historical past has there been a lot revenue from simply worldwide tourism.
READ MORE: Tourism bosses in Spain’s Balearic Islands launch PR marketing campaign to lure again Brits after variety of UK arrivals plummet by 10%
He harassed: “Two billion euros in income from worldwide tourism. It’s the first time in historical past that this determine has been recorded.”
The growth in worldwide tourism has added a further 11,000 staff to the workforce in July – ‘additionally a report determine.’
However one of the pleasing statistics of all was that the variety of worldwide guests had hardly grown in any respect – simply 2% – ‘which was what we had been searching for.’
It chimes with the area’s ambition to draw ‘increased high quality’, higher-spending vacationers.
READ MORE: Spaniards flip their backs on home sun-and-sea locations in response to rising temperatures and overcrowding by international vacationers
Whereas celebrating these constructive outcomes, Bernal additionally addressed the challenges posed by mass tourism, significantly in coastal areas.
He inspired the cruise ship sector to work extra carefully with native communities to mitigate the influence of tourism, emphasising the significance of sustainability and zero-pollution initiatives.
When requested in regards to the potential implementation of a tourism tax, Bernal was much less enthusiastic.
“The introduction of a tourism tax has not confirmed to be an answer, both in Spain or overseas,” he mentioned.
“It hasn’t addressed problems with funding or vacationer overcrowding.”
He referred to as for a extra thorough analysis of the challenges dealing with the sector, advocating for ‘calm and rigorous’ discussions to search out simpler options.
He additionally rejected the ‘populist’ backlash towards tourism – the life blood of the area – and the thought of ‘rushed measures’.
He identified that some populist choices in northern Spanish cities have had little long-term influence.
