Spanish Tourism: Evolution, Factors, and Challenges

Posted on Feb 3, 2025 in Geography

Spanish Tourism: Definition and Types

Definition of tourism.

  1. Types: exterior (not country) / interior

Evolution of Tourism

In principle, trips were made by the aristocracy (until 1945). After the 2nd World War, mass tourism began.

Factors in the Development of Tourism in Spain

Booming tourism in the 60s:

  • Economic growth after the Second World War
  • Progress of transport in Europe
  • Geographic proximity to European customers
  • Natural and cultural attractiveness of Spain
  • Low cost
  • Ease of state and emergence of big hotels and travel agencies

Crisis in the sector in the 80s:

  • Increase in prices
  • Poor infrastructure
  • Low-impact service quality deficiencies in environmental management (operators)

Since 1989, the traditional model of crisis:

  • Prevalence of middle-level tourism
  • Tourist supply low-face for its quality, uncompetitive, rigid and adaptable.

Solutions to the crisis (90s – present):

  • Quality implementation policies and restructuring of the supply
  • Extension of offer of leisure activities and culture.

Factors of Tourism at Present

  1. Consolidation of a large domestic demand and quality of supply, diversify tourism products
  2. Availability of skilled human resources, improve transport and promote national, regional and local.
  3. Political instability in places like North Africa or Balkans.

Key Factors Influencing Spanish Tourism

The factors that influence the Spanish tourism development are:

A) Natural Factors:

  • Weather: (Mild and generous sunshine)
  • The highlight: (Songbook and abrupt)
  • Natural resources: (Supplement to carry out other activities)
  • The sea: (a lot of money)
  • Inland Waters: (Resources spa and sports)

B) Human Factors:

  • Technical: Modernization of communication infrastructures and improvement and increase alojamiento.
  • Cultural: Great artistic and monumental heritage, Religious Holidays, Festivals and rural tourism.

C) Factors of Geographical Location:

  • Distance accessible to foreign tourists (Miossec)
  • Theory: 1. Cost-distance is affordable for most. 2. A higher income means greater distance.

Problems of Tourism

A) Seasonality:

The period from June to September accounts for 45% – 50% of tourism. This leads to several problems:

  • Low profitability for hotels
  • Seasonal unemployment
  • Temporary jobs

B) Saturation:

Due to spatial concentration of tourists (67% of hotel rooms and more than 65% of the complementary offerings are on the Mediterranean coast).

C) Colonialism Tourist:

The tour operators or travel agents international divisas. There is also foreign capital in the ownership of hotels, cafes, restaurants, etc.

Environmental Impact

A) Physical Impact:

  • Major infrastructure, massive urbanization costs.
  • Beaches: Pollution, Construction of dams in marinas, overexploitation of water intended for consumption.
  • Mountain: Deforestation, wildlife disturbance, pollution

B) Impact on the Population:

  • It has kept people in certain areas, has increased job-employment is seasonal

C) Impact in the Cities:

  • Modernization of communication networks
  • Entertainment zones

Tourism Policy

Concern for tourism started in the dictatorship of Primo de Rivera, when he created the ‘National Foundation-Plan Turismo’ lodges and inns of great international prestige.

After the Civil War came the Department of Tourism that in 1962 became the ‘Ministry of Tourism’.

In 1948, he created the ‘European Travel Commission’ (ETC), currently comprising 32 European countries.

The Framework Plan for Competitiveness Spanish Tourism affected us until 1999, now replaced by the Comprehensive Plan for Spanish Tourism Quality (PICTA).

Through PICTE, the aim is to address the challenges of Spanish tourism covering the period 2000-2006.

Some actions of PICTE benefit from European funds:

  • Destinations – training
  • Products – Innovation and Development
  • Service sector – Statistical information
  • Internationalization – promotion
  • International cooperation – business support

Current Policy: Objectives:

  • Promote quality tourism.
  • Improving supply-tourism by encouraging seniors, sports, rural, urban ecotourism, cultural or conferences and conventions.
  • Reduce dependence.
  • Tourism development compatible with environmental quality.