steviedeluxe

Interesting article, as it covers many topics we've spoken about here - coach visits that don't stay around, Ryanair pulling out of the airport, disruption from roadworks etc

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/p...-survival.html

It's an atmospheric city, and not just the Alhambra. I hope the authorities can get their act together.

missile

I guess, anywhere that relies heavily on tourism will be struggling. The financial meltdown has far reaching consequences for everyone bar the W ankers. Unfortunately, I fear there is worse to come.

steviedeluxe

Well tourist numbers in places like Madrid and Barcelona are well up. Come to think of it there isn't a shortage of tourists in London either. I think Granada is suffering because they just don't get the flights bringing the numbers.

Record number of tourists in Madrid in 2011 (in Spanish)
http://www.madridiario.es/2012/Enero...-millones.html

teuchterpete

I thought I read that there were record numbers if tourists in Seville so far this year. As ever, it's hot how many, but how much they spend!
Pete

Domino

Firstly Ryanair - they wanted the local govt to pay just about all their costs to operate from Granada
Local Govt - complained that their surveys showed that very few people actually went to Granada, just using the airport for onward journeys to elsewhere in the region. So they were picking up the bill and gaining nothing.
(many from the Alpujarra's prefered Granada to Malaga)

Local Govt 2 - they are now complaining that the coaches are coming in dumping the tourists at the Alhambra and then zooming off to Cordoba, Seville etc in the afternoon. This is cramming as much as possible into one day without having to pay the costs of hotel stay overnight.

MD of Cosmos - why should these rich tourists be subsidised, or is it the company's that get the subsidy because the prices don't seem to be falling from what i see in the newspapers etc. So long as they can cram in the same in a day less but charge the same as last year then they are the ones making the profit. Whilst the local businesses are suffering.

Failing Businesses - with my "new to Spain" and jaundiced outlook of life I can say it was inevitable that a number of businesses would fail anyway. How does that number compare with the preceding 2 years?
However, we used to live in a flat on the Camino (a nice looking street prior to the tram works) and the vibration from piledriving was a factor in deciding to move out to another location. The dust along with extended works due to technical and other problems has kept a number of people away from the area, so businesses would be failing - but I know some that have moved rather than fail. This was something the locals were very concerned about when the extent of the works was made known to them.
But - businesses will fail in exactly the same way as businesses will start up. It is hard to keep a good entrepreneur down and with the end in site for the Camino works there will be plenty of opportunities for the future.

agoreira

Yes, I´m reading tourist numbers are up, but received this yesterday, seems like they are keen to get some bookings. Seems cheap to me, but haven´t checked it out, could be a few add ons!