“The great opportunity that Spain has is called tourism,” said Minister of Industry and Tourism Jordi Hereu at the opening of the HotusaExplora tourism innovation forum, which has now become the traditional starting signal in the ten editions of Fitur week. “Fitur is a great showcase where we can present the best of ourselves, Spain’s clear leadership in tourism”. Tourism completed its recovery last year after the collapse caused by the epidemic, surpassing all records measuring the economic impact of the sector. Record economic activity (sectoral GDP of almost 187,000 million euros and a 12.8% contribution to national GDP), record tourist expenditure (108,000 million euros), record employment, record international tourist arrivals exceeding 84 million…
An explosion that has reopened debate about its social impact tourism and the sustainability of the growth of a sector that can affect coexistence and create negative externalities in destinations (increased rent and housing prices, restructuring of the commercial offer, expulsion of the resident population…) saturation and overcrowding. .
The government defends the “strength of the Spanish tourism model” and the ability to continue “defending the brands” achieved last year, but warns of the need to bet on formulas that will increase economic impact and tourism revenue, but without the need to sustain large increases in tourist flows in some already saturated destinations.
Bet on quality rather than sanctifying quantity
Hereu summarized, “Instead of sanctifying quality, we should focus on quality,” arguing that “added value is more than quantity.” The Minister emphasized that last year tourist spending increased much more (+17%) than international tourist arrivals (+1%).. “This is the path we need to deepen,” he said.
HE Ministry of Industry and Tourism He also advocates formulas that would alleviate the effects of overcrowding in some areas and prevent social rejection by encouraging deseasonalization of activity., extending and diversifying seasons according to tourists’ destinations, promoting Spain’s interior rather than ‘sun and sand’. “We must avoid saturation in some parts of Spain in order to increase prosperity in other destinations,” Hereu said. “And we need to adjust it seasonally so that October, November, December, January and February have more content.”