Fewer tourists but they are spending more money. | Atienza

TW

Foreign tourism spending in May in the Balearics reached 1,649 million euros, an increase of two percent in comparison to May last year.

However, the number of visitors contracted slightly by 0.5 percent with 1,708,008 foreign tourists.

During the first five months of this year, tourism spending in the Balearics rose by three percent to 3,163 million euros, nearly 11 percent of the national total, while the number of visitors remained static, 3.3 million, the same as last year.

Last month, the Balearics was the second most economically influential region in Spain accounting for 20,2 percent of the national total.

Only Catalonia generated more income from tourism with a 23.5 percent share of the market.

In May, the average amount of money spent by foreign tourists 966 euros, 2.5 percent more than last year, with an average daily expenditure of 159 euros, 7.1 percent more than during the same month last year.

But, the average length of stay in the Balearics has shrunk by 4.2 percent to six days.

Last month, Spain received a total of 8,080,000 tourists.

However, this was a modest growth compared to those registered in previous years, barely 1% more than the same month last year.

The slowdown and stagnation of the number of visitors is due to the revival of competing destinations such as Greece, Turkey, Egypt and Tunisia, which are competing in the in sun and beach market with very aggressive prices.

But, the Balearics Continues to be Spain’s second most popular holiday destination.

Last month the Balearics accounted for a 21.1 percent of the Market, pipped only by Catalonia with a lion share of 23.2 percent.

35.4 percent of visitors to the Balearics came from Germany while 27.5 percent were visitors from the United Kingdom.