During the World Travel Market (WTM) in London, it became clear that Andalucia remains popular with British tourists, the most important group of international visitors to the region in the south of Spain.
The market is positive and expects the upward trend in tourism to continue this winter and next. However, they warn that the high prices of holidays in Andalucia will not affect demand for the time being. Yolanda de Aguilar, Secretary for Tourism of the Junta de Andalucía, said after a meeting with British tour operators and airlines that Brits would like to continue coming to Andalucia. The tour operators appreciate Andalucia’s strategy of first showing what they have to offer and now showing who they are.
At a previous meeting with Jet2.com, a major airline at Malaga airport, it was announced that the demand for holidays in Andalucia will grow by 10% annually until 2017. Jet2.com is also expanding to other areas such as Almeria and Jerez de la Frontera, which will bring more British tourists to Cádiz, Huelva, and Seville.
More seats offered
Airlines are offering 11% more seats for flights from the UK to the Costa del Sol. During a meeting with British tour operators and airlines, Andalucia was urged to focus even more on the winter offer, in which lower fares apply. They also recommended developing products for destinations that are even less known but have a high heritage value, such as Úbeda and Baeza.
Market forecast good despite prices
Despite the high prices, market expectations are good. The economic situation in the UK is causing Brits to pay more attention to their spending, but interest in Andalucia remains high. Furthermore, the winter period sells very well.
José Luque, president of the Association of Hotel Entrepreneurs of the Costa del Sol (Aehcos), assures that next year prices will not rise as much as in recent years. He acknowledges that high prices are already taking a toll on the national market, especially in July. Without international demand, the situation becomes dire. Still, he expects more British tourists to come next year, as evidenced by the increasing early bookings.