Spain shows itself to be a global leader in sustainable tourism at the World Travel Market

During the three days of this fair, one of the most important in the world alongside Fitur (Madrid) and ITB (Berlin), Spain presented the progress made in recent years to become a world reference in sustainable tourism, in its three aspects: environmental, economic and social.

Minister Héctor Gómez stated that the fair had been "very positive" for Spain's tourism interests. "We are leaders in tourism sustainability, our destinations combine quality and excellence with respect for the environment and awareness of the role of tourism in society", said Gómez, for whom "The Spanish tourism industry represents a model to be followed globally to complete the revolution that this sector has undergone in recent years".

Gómez and Morillo toured the stands of several autonomous communities such as the Balearic Islands, Canary Islands, Andalusia, Murcia and Valencia, where they held meetings with the presidents and councillors of these autonomous communities, who were present at the fair.

The Secretary of State also held working meetings with the main CEOS of the British tourism sector, in which the good prospects for the year 2024 were presented. Morillo was pleased that "the available data suggests that the UK will continue to be our main issuing country next year, so our presence at this fair is very important for the sector".

The opening of new air routes between the UK and Spain was discussed in his meetings with the most relevant business representatives from the sector. According to global travel data provider OAG, planned air connections between the two countries by 2024 will be made from 27 British and 31 Spanish airports.

The Secretary of State held an important meeting at the Foreign Office with the Director for Consular Affairs and Crisis, Jennifer Anderson, in which they discussed issues of interest regarding the stays of British tourists in Spain and proposed collaboration projects for future seasons.

UK, leading market

The UK is a leading mature market for Spain, which will close 2023 at levels very close to pre-pandemic levels in terms of the number of international arrivals in 2019, and will greatly exceed tourist spending in relation to that year. So far this year, up to September, Britons have spent almost €15.854 billion, 15% more than in the same period a year ago and 7% more than in 2019.

In addition, coinciding with this edition of the WTM, Turespaña has launched an ambitious 'tax free' shopping campaign for British visitors with the aim of increasing the loyalty of this market and boosting its spending. "With this measure we reinforce the image of Spain as a high-level destination, with a wide range of products and a vocation for social tourism, exporting our culture and exchanging experiences," said the Minister of Tourism.

For Gómez, "The United Kingdom is our main market in terms of number of tourists and destination spending, a market that continues to grow and that has left behind the uncertainties of Brexit and the pandemic. Moreover, our outlook tells us that there is still plenty of room for improvement.

In the first 9 months of 2023, Spain received a total of 13 million British arrivals, 14.6% more than in the same period of 2022. In addition, for November, there are 1.5 million seats on offer from the UK to Spain, which represents a 14.5% increase compared to November last year, according to the latest data on Air Capacity published by Turespaña.

In 2022, the total expenditure of British tourists in Spain was more than 17 billion euros, which represents 19.7% of the total expenditure in Spain.

Non official translation