In a significant boost for Spain’s tourism industry, Turespaña reports a notable surge in the total planned seats for international flights to the country this December, reaching an impressive 8.1 million. This marks a substantial 14.2% increase compared to the same period in 2022 when 7.1 million seats were available.
Key Highlights:
- Poland Takes the Lead:
- Poland emerges as a standout performer with a remarkable 90.7% growth in planned seats for December 2023 compared to the previous year.
- Strong Performances:
- With a 46.2% increase, the Czech Republic is next in line, and the United States has a healthy 27.2% year-over-year growth in seats available.
- Austria’s Noteworthy Growth:
- Austria exhibits a significant year-on-year increase of 26.4% in seats scheduled for December.
- Top Three Countries:
- The distribution of seats by country reveals the United Kingdom leading with 19.3% of the total reserved seats, followed by Germany at 12.6%, and Italy securing the third position with 9.7%.
- Positive Tourism Trend:
- The robust performance in December aligns with a broader trend of positive data and a boom in the tourism sector, reflecting the ongoing process of deseasonalization of tourist flows expected to continue into 2024.
- Previous Trends:
- Turespaña’s previous data for October 2023 indicated a noteworthy 9.8% year-on-year increase in available flight seats, contributing to the positive momentum.
- Global Recovery:
- The total seats scheduled for flights to Spain between June and August 2023 surpassed 32.4 million, marking an impressive 94% recovery compared to the same period in 2019.
- Optimistic Outlook:
- Reyes Maroto, Minister of Industry, Commerce, and Tourism, is upbeat, pointing out that summer season numbers are looking good and are getting close to pre-pandemic levels following an extraordinary Easter.
Conclusion
As Spain positions itself as a sought-after destination, the surge in international flight seats signals a positive trajectory for the tourism industry, marking a welcome rebound from the challenges posed by the pandemic.