2011 was Year of Consolidation for Andalusia Tourism
January 20th, 2012
On the opening day of the International Tourism Fair in Madrid (Fitur) on Wednesday, the President of the Junta de Andalucía, José Antonio Griñán, highlighted the main results of the industry in the community. “Tourism is one of the economic engines of growth”, stated Griñán, who added he believes the tourism sector is “a tool with which to overcome the crisis”, and that “2011 was a year of consolidation for tourism in Andalusia”.
Griñán, accompanied by the Minister of Tourism, Trade and Sport, Luciano Alonso, emphasised that a good part of the results obtained in 2011 for Andalusia was due to the recovery of the international market, whose overnight stays in Spain increased by 12.6%, compared to the national market which fell by 4%.
Last year Andalusia recorded the arrival of half a million more tourists, reaching a total of 21.8 million visitors, who stayed in the community an average of nine days. The average spend in the target area was around 60 euros. Foreign tourism recorded the best performance, with arrivals growing by 6%. In particular the British market recovery was highlighted, being the leading tourist source in the region.
The forecasts predict that hotels in Andalusia will accumulate more than 42.1 million overnight stays. With these figures, Andalusia has established itself as one of the top four leading communities in foreign tourism, gaining weight relatively compared to Catalonia, which precedes it, or Madrid, who follows in fifth place.
These positive indicators are reflected in the growth of employment in the hotel and travel agencies sectors which, between January and November last year, increased by 1.5% above the national average. Given these facts, Griñán said he was “hopeful” over the 2012 tourism forecasts for Andalusia, saying the sector was aimed for growth of around 2% during the year.
Airport Arrivals
The number of passengers arriving at Andalusian airports rebounded by more than 7% to 20.4 million, with numbers travelling on low cost airlines increasing by 11.4%, while those travelling with traditional airlines fell 2.6%. Sevilla and Malaga airports experienced the biggest increases in passengers, with 17.2% and 6.2% respectively.
Among the challenges for 2012, Griñán cited the continuity of their commitment to the international market, awakening national tourism interest in Andalusia, and continued strenuous efforts on seasonal tourism and emerging experimental markets.
Finally, Diario Sur reported that, when asked about the toll implemented by Portugal on the A22 Algarve motorway, the Andalusian president said the measure is “unreasonable” because the income Portugal earned through the toll would eliminate other potential revenues which would be gained by the trade.
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