Chloe Glover (Reporter)
BRITISH tourist spending has increased in Spain despite Brexit fears.
UK visitors spent 15% more in the country in the three months after the June vote than in the same period in 2015.
They were responsible for driving €1.833m into the economy, which accounts for 22% spent in Spain by people from abroad.
The bumper effect was most noticeable in the most popular destinations for UK residents -Valencia, the Canaries and Andalucia.
There, spending by Brits rose by 17.6%, 12.1% and 2.8% respectively.
The only way a tourist from the UK is affected by Brexit, after it happens, is their EHIC and any entry fee or other paperwork requirement to travel to Europe etc. The UK has not left the EU yet, and therefore British tourists are not currently affected by Brexit, and even after Brexit, Spain will still want tourists.
All true. But let’s not forget the baleful influence of the political situation in Turkey and the social disaster that is Greece. All conspiring to make Spain the default destination.
And people will still purchase properties in Spain and elsewhere in most parts of the world after Brexit.
Forgot to mention currency exchange rates too of course, which do affect tourist, but there is no way to accurately predict that yet, post-Brexit. When staying in Paris this summer, I was told by the hotel manager that all the tourists had gone to Spain this year, and that it had seriously affected French tourism. Spain has so far been very fortunate in this respect.
Fred I don’t think it was the currency exchange rate that caused the increases of a Spanish holiday, it was the terrorists attacks in Egypt and Turkey sending their tourism down the drain. Besides no doubt most bookings were made prior to the drop of the currency.
That is what I eluded to, Carlos.
Fred, you mentioned currency exchange rate not terrorism that caused the good fortunes of Spain.
Carlos, that’s why I Spain has been fortunate. You need to read between the lines more. The same could happen in Spain of course.
Look at the French news online and see just how bad the Paris killings effected the tourist numbers especially from China and Japan – it’s not nice to see cities and large towns with thousands and thousands of armed military strolling around.
Also the stupid way they patrol will one day be exposed by a suicide jihadist, probably a woman, armed with a mini Uzi. The French army needs some instruction but I think French hubris will stand in the way – Sedan was the classic example.