Spain Holidays On the Increase as Brits Forget About ‘Staycations’
The Daily Mail has written this week that Spain holidays are enjoying a late surge of interest as UK holidaymakers leave the concept of the 'staycation' behind.
The global economic downturn had led to an increase in the number of summer holidays spent in the UK over the past couple of years. The UK Office of National Statistics said that there was an overall 15 per cent fall in the number of foreign holidays booked last year.
However, 2010’s wet summer and the stronger pound have both contributed to a desire to get away from it all on the Costa del Sol and other favourite Spanish spots, the paper reported. Add to this the increasing number of cheap flights to Spain by carriers such as Ryanair and the destination is growing in popularity once again.
Spain’s National Statistics Institute published figures showing that last month saw an 11 per cent increase in overnight stays by foreign tourists compared to the same time last year. Most of these tourists were from the UK, followed by France and Italy.
As the rain poured down across the UK this week, Spain appeared all the more attractive, with sunshine and temperatures in the high 30s in popular spots such as Malaga, Valencia and Majorca. The Daily Mail suggested that "aggressive cost cutting by tour operators of up to 40 per cent may have helped to turn the tide", as well as the attractions of good weather and cheap local prices.
Cheap Spain holidays and the cheapest flights can all be found online, with a little judicious searching, helping UK travellers escape to the sun once again.
Travel Industry News posted by Dan Brown on 27 August 2010
