Spain remains Europeans’ top vacation destination

The British, the French, the Italians, the Dutch and the Swedish all have their own favourite vacation styles: some like hotels, others prefer apartment rentals; some return to the same place year after year, while the more adventurous types try something new every season.
But they all have something in common: most of them are planning to spend their 2015 summer holidays on the Spanish costas.
Despite its decades-long relationship with European holidaymakers, Spain is still viewed by many as an exotic destination with an attractively different lifestyle.
A study conducted by consultancy YouGov asked 7,562 people in seven European countries where they were planning to spend their summer vacation this year.
Of those who mentioned a European destination, Spain came up most often: 25 percent of British respondents said they were coming here, as did 28 percent of French, 17 percent of Germans, 16 percent of Swedes, 18 percent of Italians and 15 percent of the Dutch.
Broken down by regions, the Canary Islands seem more attractive to tourists from the UK, Italy and Sweden, while Catalonia is the destination of choice for French and German visitors.
“Spain’s success can be explained through several factors. Some of these are structural, such as the weather,” explained Miguel Mirones, president of the Institute for Quality Tourism in Spain.
 “But there is also the experience: Europeans still view Spain as a very different destination from the rest of Europe, as a place with a particular lifestyle.”
Adding to this are temporary issues such as the strength of the dollar, which encourages Europeans to remain within the euro zone, and political instability in some emerging tourist destinations, which makes Spain more attractive because it is viewed as a safe country.