STORY: Spain's booming tourism industry gears towards more high-value travelers, says expert
SHOOTING TIME: Jan. 31, 2025
DATELINE: Feb. 1, 2025
LENGTH: 00:01:15
LOCATION: BARCELONA, Spain
CATEGORY: ECONOMY

SHOTLIST:
1. SOUNDBITE (Spanish): ALBERT VANCELLS, Tourism degree coordinator at the School of Tourism and Hotel Management at the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB)

STORYLINE:

The record figures registered by Spain's tourism industry in 2024 are testimony to the country now offering more diverse experiences than the popular summer beach holidays, Albert Vancells, tourism degree coordinator at the School of Tourism and Hotel Management at the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB), told Xinhua in an interview on Friday.

Earlier this month, the Spanish government announced that 94 million foreign nationals visited Spain in 2024, representing a 10 percent increase from 2023 and the highest number registered since records began.

According to Vancells, while Spain remains a traditional holiday destination for Europeans, the number of tourists arriving from non-European countries has grown, including from China and India, where the tourism market has been expanding rapidly.

According to Vancells, Spain's tourism strategy should be geared towards fewer but high-value travelers -- a profile that fits many Chinese tourists in Spain.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish): ALBERT VANCELLS, Tourism degree coordinator at the School of Tourism and Hotel Management at the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB)
"Spain continues to be a main tourist attraction at both a European and a global level, not only for summer beach holidays but increasingly for its gastronomy and for events and cultural activities that can be done throughout the year.
The growth in tourism from relatively new markets in countries such as China, or in the near future the whole area around India, and other parts of the world is obviously also increasing the number of tourists that come here.
As long as there are more direct flights or flights with easy connections, the number of tourists from China will grow and for Spain, it's very interesting to have these types of visitors because when they are here they tend to spend a lot.
The Chinese visitors we usually get are not of the type we have typically received. They are not interested in the sun and beach type of holiday. They are more interested in culture, luxury, and gastronomy. So we have to adapt what we offer to what they prefer."

Last year Spain also saw a 16 percent increase in tourism spending, which amounted to 126 billion euros (131 billion U.S. dollars).

According to the Spanish tourism board, Turesapana, spending per Chinese traveler in Spain surged last year, reaching an average of 3,123 euros per trip. This represents a 25 percent rise compared to 2019.

Meanwhile, the Spanish government foresees the tourism industry to continue growing in 2025, with 26 million tourists expected in the first quarter of the year, some 9 percent more than in the same period in 2024.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Barcelona, Spain.
(XHTV)