Spain’s tourism sector prepares for a sixth consecutive year of record

The arrival of 70 million people this summer will boost growth of many areas of the Spain economy

Spain’s tourism sector is preparing for a record number of arrivals this summer. This massive influx is given by several factors:

• Political, social and economic instability in countries such as Tunisia, Egypt or Turkey
• good weather forecasts of this summer.

During the period from January to April have visited Spain more than 18 million people, a figure that represents a 13% more than the same period last year. This data confirms that  Spain is one of the countries with most tourist attraction, its tourism sector is strong and healthy.

Employment agencies say they are expecting a 13% increase in temporary hires over the summer months, while car sales have soared 38% year-on-year as rental firms buy new fleets of vehicles to meet expected demand.

The tourism sector has driven Spain’s economy over the course of the crisis, although many hotels have been forced to lower their prices in order to continue attracting visitors during the worst years of the recession. Prices in three- and four-star hotels this summer will be the same as when the crisis began in 2008. But the average cost of a five-star hotel has risen: from €168 eight years ago to €171.