If the temperature increases by 3 to 4 degrees Celsius in July and August, which are excellent months for tourism, tourist demand in Spain will decrease by 10 percent. This is the conclusion of the ‘Regional report on climate change in European tourism demand’, prepared by a group of scientists from the European Union Joint Research Center (JRC). Tourism, the main sector of the Spanish economy (12.8% of GDP), currently faces challenges that go beyond the business dynamics of daily activity, as revealed during the Fitur celebration in Madrid this week.
Last Monday, the Bank of Spain expressed concern about the repercussions of climate change and the energy transition. “The transition to an emission-free economy will be a challenging process for us” Air transportation accounts for 40% of total greenhouse gas emissions “This is due to tourist activities, which poses a challenge, as the majority of our international tourism (about 80%) comes by air,” said Governor Pablo Hernández de Cos. “The significant predominance of sun and beach segments increases the dependence of the tourism sector on climate and the negative externalities created by saturation in some destinations,” he said.
Towards sustainability
A recent report on youth tourism trends in Spain published by the Autonomous University of Barcelona and the company IATI Seguros reflects radical changes in travel consumption habits. Eight in 10 young people are concerned about the environmental impact of tourism and almost 59% would rule out unsustainable destinations for future travel. In fact, many cities’ commitment to this Fitur consisted of presenting themselves as green destinations; San Sebastián, Oviedo, Santiago de Compostela or Lugo.
So what is sustainable tourism? The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) defines it as “tourism that takes full account of current and future economic, social and environmental impacts to meet the needs of visitors, industry, the environment and host communities.” But, Only 11.46% of tourism companies provide sustainability training to their staffAccording to the business consultation on the contribution of Spanish companies to the UN-led 2030 Agenda.
The survey also shows that 60.9% of tourists would pay more to stay in eco-friendly properties or ecological hotels. These new sensitivities towards ecotourism, cultural tours with major concerts and museums, gastronomy tourism and sports tourism of wineries and restaurants, as well as cycling tourism and marathon practices are already among the trends in the sector.
Arturo Crosby, co-director of the course on sustainable management and innovation of tourist destinations at the Complutense University of Madrid (UCM), explains that sustainable tourism ” capacity limitation and dialogue among relevant actors in the industry, such as neighbors, institutions, and businesses,” Crosby gives as an example. The Mecca of Spanish sun and beach tourism, Benidorm.
“It has always been a project aimed at attracting tourists, and it is evolving by implementing very successful regeneration and sustainability strategies. Its vertical construction with high-rise buildings means that degradation of the area is not as great as in more dispersed urbanisations. More than 90 kilometers of bicycle paths, pedestrian areas…If there were 10 cities like Benidorm along the Mediterranean, the degradation of the Spanish coast would be prevented,” he argues.
Crosby says Benidorm has a great capacity to absorb overcrowding: 150 hotels and 40,000 accommodationsthousands of apartments and a dozen campsites that can accommodate more than 12,000 people.
Warranty conditions
Fitur also focused on improving accessibility for all tourists after several years in which some destinations attracted thousands of visitors and there was already talk of managing overcrowding. Approximately 4.38 million people in Spain have some form of disability that does not prevent them from enjoying travel, as their conditions are not always guaranteed. According to the FituNext 2023 Report prepared by the ONCE Foundation’s Universal Accessibility Tourism Observatory in Spain, these tourists They spend 28% more than others to secure their needs. On average, each person spent €813.65 on their last getaway, choosing to travel in their own car (67%) and the Valencian Community to relax on its beaches (24%).
“More and more disabled people are coming to Spain because it is a reference point in terms of accessibility,” says Jesús Hernández, Director of Accessibility and Innovation at the ONCE Foundation. And since it’s a country with “a great climate that can attract seniors with accessible services,” there’s a trend for long-term numbers to improve further. From the ONCE Foundation they state: Spain still needs to improve infrastructure and services Making facilities such as ramps, lifts and adapted bathrooms accessible to people with limited mobility. The same is happening in air transportation and train, where “physical barriers must be eliminated and the training of professionals who will care for people with special needs must be increased.”
ONCE-affiliated business group Ilunion highlights some Spanish destinations that are at the forefront of this type of tourism: Ávila received the European Accessible City Award 2011; Malaga, with its already adapted cultural centers such as the Carmen Thyssen Museum, the Picasso Museum and the Pompidou Centre; Lugo was deemed worthy of a special mention at the 2017 Barrier-Free City Awards, and Terrassa was deemed worthy of a special mention at the same awards in Barcelona in 2012.