Younger tourists help slow Spanish holiday decline

Spain’s increasing appeal to younger holidaymakers is helping it fight back against falling visitor numbers, according to a study of 20,000 holiday bookings by The Co-operative Travel, the UK’s largest independent travel retailer.

While UK bookings to Spain are down 23.4%* overall, The Co-operative Travel’s research shows that this decline has been reversed in younger age groups.

Majorca, the UK’s number one package holiday destination, saw a rise in its share of bookings amongst holidaymakers under 30 years of age**. In a comparison of the UK’s top ten destinations, Majorca’s share of bookings rose by as much as 5% for bookers under the age of 21 (from 17% to 22% of package holidays) and 3% for those aged between 21 and 30 (from 17% to 20%).

Ibiza has also managed to increase its share of bookings by 4% (from 7% to 11% of package holidays for people under 30).

However, Spanish resorts are losing ground with older holidaymakers. For example, Majorca’s share of bookings is down between 2% and 3% with all other age groups.

Trevor Davis, Director of Retail Distribution at The Co-operative Travel says: “The decline in bookings to Spain has been a growing trend over the last two years, with Egypt and Turkey the main beneficiaries.

“The Spanish Tourist Office has responded by attempting to increase its appeal to younger bookers, showing them that there’s more to Spain than sun and sangria.

“According to our research this approach seems to be working and is good news for the long term prospects of the Spanish travel market.”

One example of this approach is a series of ‘Taste of Spain’ events which are being held across the UK, the next being in London from 21 May and in Edinburgh from 17 July. These mini-fiestas aim to showcase authentic Spanish lifestyle, culture and food.

Ignacio Vasallo, director of the Spanish Tourist Office, says: “Conscious of the fact that holidays are increasingly experience-driven, our objective is to introduce the culture, traditional fiesta and lifestyle to the UK market through a series of events across the country.

“Through initiatives such as this we are introducing potential holidaymakers of all ages to aspects and areas of Spain of which they may not be aware and, as always, promoting our value of money and proximity to the UK.”

The Co-operative Travel’s research shows that Majorca remains our number one holiday choice for summer 2009, representing 24% of all package holiday bookings to the top ten destinations. Its nearest competitor, Dalaman in Turkey, receives 15% of bookings.

Top Ten Summer Destinations For UK Holidaymakers In 2009 (all age groups)

1. Majorca – 24.2%
2. Dalaman – 15.8%
3. Crete – 10.1%
4. Orlando – 8.9%
5. Costa Blanca – 7.3%
6. Ibiza – 7.27%
7. Tenerife – 7.22%
8. Larnaca – 6.4%
9. Sharm el Sheikh – 6.34%
10. Zante – 6.3%