Spain's travel experience sector witnessed rapid growth in 2024, says Arival
Backed by ongoing evolution, Spain holds a more positive outlook on the industry’s growth in 2025 compared to its counterparts across the rest of Europe, says a report by Arival, a tourism market intelligence firm.
In a press statement, Arival says that as per its annual report Global Operator Landscape, Spain has witnessed a robust performance in its travel experience sector. Arival adds that it surveyed over 7,000 tour, activity, and attraction operators globally, including 600 operators from Spain in the second half of 2024 for preparing the 3rd edition of its report and found several key trends regarding the country’s travel experience sector.
According to Arival, nearly half of Spain’s tour operations saw significant growth in the travel experience sector in 2024, surpassing the global average of 38 pc growth compared to the previous year, 2023.
Additionally, 74 pc of Spanish operators are optimistic about the future growth of the experience sector, outpacing their global counterparts, where 62 pc of tour operators shared similar enthusiasm.
According to the statement, this enthusiasm is driven by technological advancements, with Spanish operators booking tickets online through travel agencies and their websites, making the process of booking tickets to various destinations easier.
Moreover, compared to their global counterparts, Spanish operators utilise modern booking systems and are actively experimenting with cutting-edge technologies like AI to enhance their travel operations, notes press statement.
Arival adds that further enhancing their logistical process, OTAs and other resellers are playing a bigger role in making activities like tours and attractions in Spain more popular by connecting with resellers via the booking system through APIs. It says at an average of 46 pc, Spain is higher than the worldwide average of 31 pc.
“After remarkable double-digit growth for the global travel experiences sector in 2022 and 2023, growth slowed in 2024 to single digits, as the surge of post-pandemic demand receded and inflation tempered travelers’ capacity to spend…But Spain has stood apart. Demand for travel to the country, to experience its rich cultural heritage and numerous attractions and experiences, represents an enormous opportunity for operators and resellers,” says Douglas Quinby, CEO and co-founder, Arival.
Douglas Quinby
According to the statement, this development comes ahead of Arival‘s annual event, Arival 360, where attendees can expect exclusive insights from the company’s latest research. This year, the event will take place in Valencia, from April 28 to 30 at the city’s conference centre.
According to Arival, what makes this year stand apart is that the programme will feature live translation of key sessions in multiple languages, making the event accessible to attendees from across the globe. It will provide detailed insights into relevant topics such as technology, AI, marketing, sustainability, and innovation in experiences, along with inspiring talks and in-depth interviews with industry leaders, ensuring interactive sessions throughout the event.
According to the statement, Civitatis, the main sponsor of the conference, has also acknowledged Spain’s potential in the travel experience industry and believes that holding the annual event in Valencia will further enhance the growth of the travel experience sector in the country.
“The experiences industry in Spain is thriving and fast-changing, and the operator landscape is evolving quickly. We see immense potential in Spain and Latin America, and Arival’s focus on innovation and collaboration within the in-destination experiences sector aligns perfectly with our mission to connect travellers with unforgettable experiences. This event will be instrumental in driving the continued growth and success of our industry in these dynamic markets,” says Alberto Gutiérrez, CEO, Civitatis.