Dick Dasterdly

......Tourist industry.

http://www.thelocal.es/20130903/fore...tourism-summer

Seems a lot of Spanish had no option but to stay at home whilst the Egypt effect has helped boost numbers from N.Europe to the Costas at least.

Looks like an on-going battle between the Govt trying to boost the failing hotel trade and Tourists who much prefer to make their own arrangements with private lets.
They've already made life as difficult as possible for those wishing to arrange private deals or go self catering.

I think the net step will be to put a gun at visitors heads at point of arrival and frog march them into the nearest hotel.
Alternatively, the way things are moving they're just as likely to tax them 200 euros each if they don't agree to staying in a hotel.

Whatever happened to freedom of choice ?


""In terms of general trends in tourism, hotels also appearing to be falling out of favour.

Although Spain had received 34 million tourists to the end of July, the country's hotels only clocked up 37.6 million hotel nights.

That's just over one night per visitor.

Instead, people are opting to stay in private accommodation — a trend which worries both professor Duro and Asetur president Jesús Marco.

Duro said Spain need to regulate this economic activity while Marco spoke of a system without "quality guarantees" where "people have to bring their own sheets with them".""

stuboy

Spanish hoteliers have long been a very powerful lobbying force. God knows they've paid enough in backhanders to entitle them to a voice.

steviedeluxe

Spain, despite having an "uncompetitive currency/economy" has fought hard to exit the biggest recession in years, by searching out new export markets, and new tourist markets eg the Russians.
The UK on the other hand has had a policy of printing money and devaluing the pound. To an extent you can't criticise this, as it "appears" to be working. Time will tell...

Dick Dasterdly

Yes, that's fairly obvious from the recent moves made in their favour by the Govt.

However times have changes since the early cheap all inclusive package deals when visitors looked on a holiday in Spain almost like a trip to another planet and needed every tiny detail organised to perfection ahead of their trip.

Apart from the fact that visitors can now independently get far better deals outside of the hotel trade, their attitudes have changed in other ways and they now hop on a plane as they would hop on a bus looking for a more relaxing free and easy style of holiday without the regimental restrictions of hotel life and being followed around by an army of stuffed penguins all day.

I think it's time the Govt got their heads around the fact and realized that for many visitors that's the way the future is going to be, rather than knocking their heads on the wall or shooting themselves in the foot trying to force ppl. in a direction they don't wish to go, by making life so difficult for small independent private operators.

Dick Dasterdly

WTF !

Stevie have you got nothing better to do than follow me around trying to turn every topic on the Spanish section into a UK p!ssing competition.

Time you got yourself a life lad.

jackytoo

He brings the UK into it but not even sticking to topic of tourism which is booming in the UK

So.....Spanish tourism must be down. Increase in foreign visitors 4%. Decrease in national visitors 7%.

steviedeluxe

You're right of course - London is heaving with tourists. (not that I ever see planes that aren't full, wherever I travel in Spain)
Are numbers going to continue rising like this? No surprise that most of my local pubs have converted their premises to provide accommodation for backpackers.
We may get that new London airport after all...

amideislas

I reckon the increase in popularity of private rentals is because holidaymakers generally get a lot more for the money than paying a fortune to stay in a crowded resort.

The hotels are entitled to that money without pesky competition from little piss-arsed private rentals offering a lot more for less. Besides, that money from the hotels helps the poor economies of Germany, UK, US, and UAE.

pete_l

Steady on!
What you're suggesting almosts like promoting an enterprise culture . Spain has a long history of doing exactly the opposite: increasing taxes, increasing bureacracy and imposing new rules, laws and restrictions.
All in the name of preserving existing jobs and businesses, no matter how bloated, inefficient or expensive that makes the goods or services being offered.

What made Spain a popular destination was the weather and the cheapness. The weather hasn't changed but it's no longer the bargain destination it was in the 70s and 80s. While holidaymakers have become wealthier and more demanding over the past 40 years, all that means is that they are prepared to travel further and want more for their money. So Spain is now competing with newer, cheaper (but equally sunny) countries - without offering anything extra for the additional costs it's imposing.

agoreira

Tell me about it, never seen so many in my area! Bloody glad the kids have gone back to school. I walk just about every day, went to a popular spot yesterday and there were 5 cars there, last week must have been in excess of 100. I know several people that rent out holiday accommodation and some of them have said their bookings have been down, many are opting for tents and caravans. Same with Spain, I was reading many Spanish are still taking holidays, but for shorter durations, cheaper accommodation and eating at home rather than eating out.

Rosemary

My nearest beaches are crammed with Spanish and French holiday makers who either own or rent flats mostly. One of my friends said that the tourist are spending an average of 70 euros per person per day but I am not sure where he got that information from and also not sure whether he meant nationally or locally.

Rosemary

Porth

We are returning to France shortly but have been here since April. During that time I have seen quite a few French registered cars. Not sure that they are owners or renters? Believe them to be the latter.

Conventional wisdom is that the French spend their holidays in France for like Spain it is a diverse country both in culture and weather. And of course the French believe their country their language and cuisine to be the only one in the world. Not so I am afraid and I have lived there for years.

Have spoken to quite a few and asked 'why' the answer is relatively straightforward it is the cost of living. France is now (and has always been in my opinion) very expensive. This area is not again in my opinion. You can eat out most days and it does not involve huge costs.

So for the people or Bordeaux and Toulouse it is within easy driving distance although many plates (not cuisine wise) are prefixed with 7 which is the Paris region.

People vote with their feet and Spain and high rise hotels and the like are in my opinion outdated people now have choice and access to both apartments and villas and do not wish to be shepherded into hotels. For the hotel market is entirely different and with the numbers diminishing. But for some down to the High Street and Thompson and glossy brochures perfect! But look what's is happening to the High Street Market in the UK.

However it is another argument as to whether rental income finds its way in either HMG or Spanish coffers.

You can now fly from most UK airports to Alicante hire a car and before leaving home and via the internet booked a villa. What could be easier?

This ground swell is not capable of being stopped and if attempts are made to restrict this movement again we will say 'lets try ............... this year'

As to Spanish nationals a local supermarket here is positioned next to a holiday complex. The owner says he is having a terrible time for the Spanish are taking less holidays staying for week ends and really are looking around before committing to buying. Their purchasing power is also being hit.

best wishes

Mitzyboy

The move to make it more difficult for people to rent villas to try to make them use hotels is fraught with misconceptions.

The Authorities actually think that if people don't rent a villa, they will go and stay in a hotel for two weeks? Nope. If people are forced to stay in a hotel for two weeks rather than take their choice of freedom in a villa, then they will go to Portugal, Greece, wherever instead, where they can exercise their choice. Spain loses again. Not rocket science

jimenato

Absolutely correct.

Are they really stupid enough to think it would work?

Dick Dasterdly

Exactly.

This policy of trying to force people against their will simply won't work in the long term, despite the punitive measures being heaped upon private independant operators.

More shades of Francoism, so typical of the present Govt.

Time for Spain to move into the 21st century.