Shorter stays but higher tourist spend

PALMA
DURING November last year, foreign tourists throughout Spain spent 5.6 percent more than they did during the same month in 2006.
The amount spent by visitors during their period of stay in November rose by 6 percent to stand at an average of 957 euros per tourist, while the daily spend was calculated at an average of 109 euros due to the fact that the periods of stay decreased by 5.5 percent when compared to November 2006.

From January to November 2007 inclusive, foreign tourists spent a total of 46'897 million euros, an increase of 3.5 percent in respect of the corresponding period of 2006. The average daily spend during this period of time was 94 euros, 4.6 percent more than January to November in the previous year. The average spend per tourist also increased by 1.4 percent, but the period of stay was the only factor which decreased - by 3.1 percent to average out at 9 days. Hotel accommodation in November last year was the major cost (70.5 percent) of tourists in Spain during this period. The figure is a significant increase over and above the corresponding calculation for 2006 - not just in terms of the number of tourists booked into hotels during the month but also in terms of the number of overnight stays.

The total tourist spend made by visitors who came to Spain on a package deal basis increased considerably compared to the same figure for November 2006. Tourists resident in Europe were the source of 80 percent of the spend, 40.7 percent for which Germany and the United Kingdom were responsible. Visitors from these two countries totalled more than in November 2006 but the average period of stay of each tourist was shorter than the year before. France came third as a key client in the tourist industry, registering the highest increase in spend, whilst visitors from the Netherlands spent the least.