Catalunya has once again emerged as the leading destination
Spain will receive 91 million international travellers, 7 pc more than the 85.1 million received in 2023. With Holy Week less than two weeks away, the current forecast for occupancy rates is very optimistic. These are the findings of a survey by San Francisco-based consulting firm Braintrust.
According to a press statement by Braintrust, this is the first significant holiday wave of 2024, and it is expected to be a year in which tourism activity will once again reach historic highs in terms of the number of foreign tourists to Spain.
The firm predicts that foreign tourism spending will reach unprecedented levels due to a higher influx of tourists, although prices may also increase due to inflation.
It says that Catalunya has once again emerged as the leading destination for foreign tourists among all the autonomous communities in Spain. Following Catalunya on the list are the Canary Islands, the Balearic Islands, Andalusia, the Community of Madrid, and the Valencian Community.
It says that the high demand allows Spanish companies to adjust their prices with a higher margin percentage. Braintrust attributes the tourism industry’s expected growth to the strength of brand Spain abroad and external factors such as the situation in Gaza and the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, which may lead to increased trips from East to West Europe.
Tourism experts have pointed out that last year, foreign tourism was concentrated in just six autonomous communities, which accounted for over 90 pc of visitors’ total expenditures. They believe there’s a lot of work to be done to promote the offer of inland Spain.
The report also highlights the problem of seasonality in the Spanish tourism industry, which has been reduced by 11 pc. However, this issue remains a challenge that needs to be addressed as soon as possible.
