Tourism figures to match 2006

PALMA
THE Secretary of State for Tourism, Joan Mesquida, announced yesterday that the number of foreign visitors coming to Spain this year is expected to be between two and 2.5 percent down on last year and similar to those registered in 2006.

As the Bulletin has been reporting over the past few weeks, Majorca continues to be the top selling single summer destination in Britain. However some areas of mainland Spain, in particular the Costa del Sol, are experiencing a sharp down turn in British trade but, looking at the big picture of the holiday market for this year, Mesquida appears relatively optimistic and confident that the main markets, such as Britain, where the Pound has rallied against the Euro since the start of the year, and Germany, will hold up under the recession.