Tendencias del mercado

🏖️ Grecia, con turismo aportando 19% al PIB y empleando a 800,000 personas, recibió más de 32 millones de visitantes en 2023. El gobierno griego, liderado por el primer ministro Kyriakos Mitsotakis, implementará impuestos sobre alquileres turísticos, hoteles y alojamientos de abril a octubre del próximo año. Los ingresos se destinarán a infraestructura local. En Atenas, se prohíben nuevos alquileres turísticos por un año y se introducirá una tarifa de 20 euros por turista en cruceros en Santorini y Mikonos en temporada alta. La construcción en la caldera de Santorini se suspenderá para protegerla.

🏙 Saudi Arabia's government has made hotel, apartment, and tourist residence licenses free nationwide to boost tourism and reduce oil revenue dependency, aligning with Vision 2030 goals to make the country a top global destination. Cultural practice changes are being implemented to attract investors and open markets, alongside large resort developments in the west and a new global standard airline initiative.

🏖️ CIS survey in July 2024 shows that 77% of Spaniards have taken or will take vacations within the year. With vacations deemed 'very or quite important' by 90.8% of respondents, most prefer domestic travel, with 68% vacationing within Spain, 6.4% abroad, and 23.6% both. Majority vacation 1-2 weeks (29.4%), stay in hotels/apart-hotels (45.2%), and prefer sun and beach destinations (53%). Over half organize trips online (63.3%), and 86.2% travel with companions.

💰 Imserso's tourism program currently offers 886,269 places per season, a decrease from the peak of 1.2 million trips in the 2017/2018 season. With nearly three million pensioners set to receive accreditation letters, there is less than one available spot for every three individuals. Carlos Garrido of Ávoris states while sufficient places exist, pensioners may not always get their preferred trip, citing availability issues such as specific desires to travel to the Canary Islands in November. Complaints have surfaced about the unequal distribution of trips, with some pensioners unable to secure a single trip while others book multiple packages.

💰 The Imserso travel program will start selling 886,269 slots for the 2024-2025 season on September 23. The ETIAS is expected to be operational by mid-2025, affecting non-EU tourists traveling next summer. Royal Caribbean orders a fourth Icon-class mega cruise ship, with construction by Meyer Turku. The program offers trips to Spanish provincial capitals from October 2024 to June 2025. Nearly three million letters (2,853,985) are being sent to pensioners at a rate of about 200,000 per day for reservations. Rafa Nadal and Abel Matutes are planning branded residences on the Costa del Sol. Tourist saturation in Galicia is of increasing concern, with a 5.6% growth in arrivals in the first half of the year.

🏖️ Murcia starts sales for Imserso travel program season 2024-2025 on September 23, with 886,269 spots across three lots. Enrollment began July 1, and nearly 3 million letters (2,853,985) are being sent to pensioners, averaging 200,000 daily, for travel accreditation. Sales proceed in two phases: September 23-24 for select regions, and September 25-26 for the rest. Trip costs range from €124.68 for a four-day trip to €331.49 for a 10-day Balearic trip. Reservations require a maximum 20% deposit and can be made through accredited agencies or Turismo Social's official website.

🏖️ En España, el 56% de los encuestados ha viajado solos, con un 54% de mujeres. A pesar del interés creciente, España ocupa el puesto 22 de 27 países en viajes en solitario, liderados por Turquía (77%), Rumanía (75%) y Corea del Sur (72%). El 45% de los españoles que viajan acompañados también realiza actividades solo, mientras que el 9% ha probado couchsurfing y un 14% planea hacerlo. A nivel de fiestas, el 36% de los españoles ha salido solo, superando la media global del 31.4%.

🛩 Western airlines announce daily they are ceasing flights to various destinations in China, Japan, and the Far East, with Chinese airlines swiftly filling the gaps. Western sanctions on Russia for flying over its airspace extend flight durations from Western Europe by two hours, due to detours avoiding conflict zones like Israel, Iran, and Afghanistan, increasing costs and crew complications. Meanwhile, Chinese airlines leverage unrestricted Russian airspace, boosting connections to cities like London, Budapest, Barcelona, Istanbul, and Milan. Despite the expansion, Chinese travel is still below pre-pandemic levels.

🏖️ In Galicia, local protests over tourism saturation have intensified during summer. The INE reports a 5.6% increase in traveler arrivals for the first half of the year. On August 25, 80 residents in Cangas demonstrated for 20 minutes, causing traffic jams to demand better traffic organization to beaches. In 2023, Galicia hosted 7.10 million travelers, up 7.8% from the previous year. The Camino de Santiago saw 438,308 pilgrims in 2022, a 26% increase from 2019. The Xunta is finalizing the Galicia Tourism Strategy 2030 to focus on sustainable management and tourist-resident relations.

🏖️ Iranian tourists hit a record of 1.75 million visitors to Turkey's beaches in the first seven months of 2024, a 40% increase from the previous year. Iranians are now the fifth largest tourist group in Turkey, behind Russians, Germans, British, and Bulgarians. Over half a million Ukrainians vacationed in Turkey despite the war, while tourism from Israel plunged 90% to just 45,000. Chinese and American visitors surged to 230,000 and 770,000, respectively. Overall, Turkey's tourism grew by 8% during this period, aided by the local currency's sharp decline.