Spain’s Tourism Sector: Types, Trends, and Impact
Tourism in Spain
Tourism became a mass phenomenon in the 1950s due to the rising standard of living, and changing social and cultural values. Tourism is a major activity in Spain’s economy, employing 1.5 million people. It’s also a significant agent of landscape transformation, and while it has become a factor of degradation, plans like the *Excellence in Tourism* and *Travel Dynamism Plans* aim to enrich and diversify the tourism offerings.
Types of Tourist Flows
The huge influx of tourists to Spain is explained by several factors:
- A large volume and variety of natural and cultural resources.
- Good communication.
- Competitive prices.
- Effective promotional advertising.
- The psychological factor of confidence generated by stable politics.
Tourism is divided into different types:
Coastal Tourism
Traditional in Spain since the 1950s, this is mass tourism based on the search for sun and sand. The Mediterranean coast and the Canary and Balearic Islands are the main destinations. This type of tourism requires the construction of large hotels.
Mountain Tourism
A less crowded form of tourism that relies on the enjoyment of the natural and scenic values of mountain areas in both winter and summer. Winter tourism is particularly noteworthy.
Cultural Tourism
This tourism involves visiting places of historical and artistic interest. It is most prominent in cities with significant architectural heritage, such as Barcelona, Seville, and Toledo. It may also include Santiago de Compostela, a place of religious pilgrimage.
Business and Conference Tourism
This is related to short trips for business or scientific meetings, and attendance at fairs.
Rural Tourism
Also known as “green tourism,” it has experienced significant expansion in recent years. It involves stays in homes, hotels, or cottages.
Health Tourism
Resorts, thermal springs, and baths have been revitalized. There is also adventure tourism. The current proliferation of theme parks is another phenomenon that seeks to mobilize short-term tourist travel.
Current Characteristics
International Tourism
Spain is the world’s second-largest tourist destination after France. The total amount of tourist revenue exceeds 30 billion euros. International tourism features:
- Most tourists come from Europe. The main tourism markets are the United Kingdom and Germany.
- The most important tourist destinations are the Balearic and Canary Islands and the Mediterranean coast. The Balearic Islands and Catalonia account for two-thirds of the tourists.
- The main reason for visiting is holidays.
- While the summer season still concentrates the largest flow of visitors, there is gradual seasonal tourism.
- Hotels are the most widely used means of accommodation. The use of home ownership is significant in the Balearic Islands.
- The plane is the most widely used means of transport, accounting for half of tourist arrivals to the archipelagos, with Madrid and Barcelona being further away.
Domestic Tourism
It is difficult to assess, but its importance has increased in recent years due to the increasing living standards of the Spanish population and the expansion of free time. Domestic tourism features:
- Prevalence of domestic tourism: Most tourist travel is within Spain.
- Short-term travel to second homes predominates, representing almost two-thirds of the journeys. These usually coincide with weekends and are closely related to the income level of the population.
- The Mediterranean coast is preferred, chosen by Spaniards as the main destination for their trips.
- Leisure or vacation is the primary reason for travel.
- Travel activity is concentrated during holiday periods. The summer season accounts for at least 50% of total trips, followed by Easter.
- The car is the dominant means of transport used by Spaniards.