The most traveled town in the world, the one that has overcome internal crises as serious as Brexit, continues to lead the arrival of international tourists to Spain. According to data from the ONS (Office for National Statistics), Spain has established itself as the first destination for British people when they travel abroad. He British market contributed 16.4% of tourist spending in Spain in the first quarter of 2024. The British continue to increase in winter refuge destinations such as the Canary Islands and offer extreme loyalty to other areas such as Costa del Sol, Mallorca or Benidorm.
In the World Travel Market de Londresone of the most important tourism fairs in the world, but which has lost some international popularity in favor of the Madrid International Tourism Fair (Fitur) and which starts this Tuesday, data and figures will be presented that will explain why this market enjoys of good health and what differentiates them from others.
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World Travel Market in London: “Does it make sense to spend so much money here?”
Agustín Rivera. Malaga
For the hotel multinational RIU, the British are the second largest emitter only behind the United States. Its establishments received 700,000 customers british in 2023 and By 2024, growth of 15% is expected. The Canary Islands and Cape Verde, which has the same time zone as the United Kingdom, and Jamaica (former colony), Riviera Maya and Mauritius are the favorite destinations where RIU clients stay.
One of the main features is the return to confidence in the tourist packagethe classic tour operation, which has never ceased to be an absolute reference for the German market, but which was no longer so important for the British client. Ignacio Vasallo, founder and first director of Turespaña and which was number 1 of the Spanish Tourist Office in London, highlights the return of interest in the tour operation “because of the security and price guarantee” it offers.
Jet2 leadership
In addition to the giant TUI, whose British division (TUI UK) has operated almost independently in recent years following the disappearance of Thomas Cook and now once again listed exclusively on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, Jet2 has become the favorite of the British. This tour operator, according to data from the United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), has for this year 6.71 million flight seats compared to 5.8 million in 2023.
The advantage of digitalization and the promotion of the dynamic package has allowed the flexibility of the days that tourists take vacations. Added to all these factors is the strength of the pound, the rise in prices, which in 2025 promises to be more moderate than last season, and the increase in slots (flight reservations), which will have a growth between 4% and 6%, according to the forecasts of the airline companies.
“The UK economy is doing a little better than Germany and the British will look for cheaper places and try to save”
“Even so, the situation is complex, it is not that easy. The United Kingdom’s economy is doing a little better than that of Germany and the British will look for cheaper places and try to save,” Vasallo admits in a telephone conversation with this newspaper. Türkiye presents itself, once again, as one of the main competitorsbut confidence in Spain has not diminished.
“The security of all types that we offer, not just violence and robberies, is very high compared to other countries. And also the assurance that the tourist can return whenever he wants to his destination and the guarantee that anywhere in our country you will be well treated,” emphasizes the tourism expert.
Mallorca: “In no case have the figures of British clients from 2019 been recovered”
According to sources from Fehm, the hotel association of Mallorca, “in no case” have the figures been recovered of British customers in 2019, but that “is not the important thing”, but what is crucial is that the British market has recovered in the months before (March, April and May) and after the high season (from September to December) .
The United Kingdom “has understood the repositioning” of the Island in the reconversion of the hotel plant. The British is also increasing spending to guarantee eight or nine months of continuous work for Mallorcan hotels. “Technology has created a change in our way of tourism,” these same sources add.
In Andalusia, the case of the Costa del Sol. Malaga airport receives 83% of the total visitors arriving at Andalusian airports. Between January and August 2024, the Costa del Sol has recorded 849,555 British tourists staying in hotels and tourist apartments, consolidating the leadership of this market. This figure represents an increase of 3.9% compared to the same period in 2023.
In 2022, travelers from the United Kingdom staying in the province of Málaga They represented 65.8% of Andalusia and 10.5% of Spain. Between January and August two years ago, 758,000 British travelers stayed in hotels and apartments on the Costa del Sol, representing a strong growth over the same period of 2021, but with a decrease of 14.8% compared to the same period in 2019. And 2025 will be much better. This will be dictated by the World Travel Market in London.
The most traveled town in the world, the one that has overcome internal crises as serious as Brexit, continues to lead the arrival of international tourists to Spain. According to data from the ONS (Office for National Statistics), Spain has established itself as the first destination for British people when they travel abroad. He British market contributed 16.4% of tourist spending in Spain in the first quarter of 2024. The British continue to increase in winter refuge destinations such as the Canary Islands and offer extreme loyalty to other areas such as Costa del Sol, Mallorca or Benidorm.
