Spain expects to receive 25.5 million international tourists in the second quarter of the year, from April to June, representing a growth of 8.9% in arrivals, with an associated increase in total expenditure of 9.3%, according to estimates in the latest Bulletin of Tourism Situation, Coyuntur, prepared by the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism.
The forecasts put at 36,500 million euros the expenditure derived from the arrivals of foreign visitors to Spain between April and June. In this way, it is expected that the expenditure made by inbound tourism grows at a faster rate than arrivals.
In a statement, the Minister of Industry, Trade and Tourism in office, Reyes Maroto, stressed that the data indicate that both arrivals and spending "regain momentum," so you can expect "some positive summer months with respect to tourism.
Tourism highlights that the cycle-trend series of tourist arrivals, spending and hotel overnight stays are going through a phase of growth after a period of deceleration.
Thus, according to forecasts, in the first half of the year, 39.7 million foreign visitors would be reached, 7% more than in the first half of 2018, and expenditure would be close to 41,900 million euros, with a growth of 7.4%.
THE EXTENSION OF THE 'BREXIT' HELPS ARRIVALS
By markets, forecasts point to a growth of 1.4% of tourist arrivals from the United Kingdom, the main issuing market to Spain with more than 20% of the total, which would translate into 5.7 million visitors, to reach 8.5 million in the first half of the year, 0.4% more.
For Maroto, the data has a "very positive" reading and is the result of the delay of the exit of the United Kingdom from the EU, extended until the end of October, and the contingency plan applied to preserve the normal development of the "trade flows and economic interests" of Spain.
Italy stands out for its good prospects, which in number of arrivals will grow by 12.9% in the second quarter, and Germany, which will grow by 11%. The number of visitors from France is expected to rise by 1.3%, compared to a slight drop of 0.8% in arrivals from the Nordic countries.
The report reflects that the British, German and French markets seem to have overcome the recent phase of contraction in arrivals entering all of them in a phase of growth. Thus, the cycle-trend of arrivals from the United Kingdom downwards since July 2017, and which at the end of 2018 began to recover, show a slight average growth of 0.6% in the first quarter of the year.
Coyuntur stresses, however, that these are forecasts that must be handled with caution, since the phenomenon of tourism is conditioned by the dynamism of the economic and social environment.
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