Andalucía expects to exceed for the first time the 27 million tourists in 2016
The president of the Board predicts in Fitur a “key” year for the sector, which creates one in five jobs in the community
Original article from EL PAIS, January 20th, 2016, Málaga: http://ccaa.elpais.com/ccaa/2016/01/20/andalucia/1453297540_270405.html
All tourist indicators are green in Andalusia and the scenario for 2016 is optimistic. The community was in 2015 of about 26 million tourists, the best ever recorded, with an increase of 7.9% over the previous year. Revenues in the sector rose to 17,600 million euros (the actual rise is 5%). It has closed a “historic” year and the coming months will be “key”, says the president of the Board, Susana Diaz, who expects that 2016 will exceed “loosely” the 27 million visitors, with an estimated increase of 5, 2%.
Diaz has provided this information during her visit to the International Tourism Fair (Fitur) in Madrid, after inaugurating the exhibitor of Andalusia and acted as a host to the Queen Letizia, who has come to the show of the Andalusian offer until Sunday. The figures are positive also for the hotels that have hosted 16.6 million passengers (+ 6.8%), with a final balance of 47.9 million overnight stays, 6.3% more than in 2014. the level is similar to the pre-crisis and the rise is the highest of this last decade.
Statistics confirm the position of Andalusia as a leader in domestic tourism, with 9.3 million Spanish travellers staying in hotels and 23.4 million overnight stays. The increase is 4% and 2.9%, respectively. The rise for the international market, a plot in which the Board sought to gain positions in 2015, has been more significant, with a rise of 10.5% in the number of foreign visitors in hotels (7.3 million) and 9, 8% of stays in these accommodations (24.3 million).
The Andalusian president stressed during the hearing that tourism generated many new employment. One in five new jobs were created in 2015 in the tourism industry, with 216,000 members of Social Security at the end of the year. The annual rate of change is 7.5%, above the average for other productive sectors and the main Spanish tourist communities. Andalusian hotels have employed an average of 30,900 employees, 4.6% more than in 2014.
Diaz, who was accompanied by the Minister of Tourism and Sports, Francisco Javier Fernandez, called to “complete the work begun” and that employment will reflect “quality and decent wages.” Already in 2016 they are working to overcome the historical figures of the past year. The president said that a “step up” support for tourism businesses to continue to grow was created “in an innovative and sustainable.” environment. One of the projects is to launch the Alliance for Tourism Industry, in collaboration with unions and employers, and a new General Plan for Sustainable Tourism, worth 420 million euros, to increase competitiveness is designed.
This year efforts will continue to combat seasonality, one of the main problems of the sector; It will launch a strategy to promote domestic tourism; and a specific budget line will be used to renovate the hotel industry. Showcases Andalucía will be at Fitur exhibition until Sunday in a display of 5,300 square meters. The community goes this year to Madrid, one of the three major international tourism events (along with London and Berlin) as the first major partner of the fair, a new formula that guarantees permanent brand presence at official events and all of kinds promotional media.
A shaft with four capitals LOOKING TO JAPAN
The first day of the International Tourism Fair (Fitur) in Madrid has served as the backdrop for the presentation of the axis formed by the cities of Malaga, Seville, Cordoba and Granada, an alliance that aims to gain efficiency and looking towards the Jata Tourism Expo the most important tourism fair in China. Four working capitals to promote themselves in this event, held in September, with a unified corporate image.
The idea is to offer a unique tourism product in which the traveller is invited, especially the middle and long distance, to enjoy all tourist segments, from the sun and beach, gastronomy, oenology or snow. A travel agency will propose a package of two nights in each of the cities. Discard not go to other markets like the US and Canada.
The respective mayors have been in charge of presenting this joint initiative, created to “add additional securities’
Francisco de la Torre (Málaga) Juan Espadas (Sevilla); Ambrosio Isabel (Córdoba); and José Torres Hurtado (Granada).