Summer 2015 was the most successful for Spain's tourism sector in the last 10 years

There is no doubt that the summer of 2015 has been a real gift for the Spanish tourism sector. According to the Spanish Association of Tourism Companies Exceltur, the industry is growing at an above-average rate.

This became possible due to the favorable macroeconomic situation in the world. The fall in oil prices and the weakening of the euro played a role. Vacationers from the US and UK found it cheaper to pay for goods and services, so they did not skimp on spending. As a result, if the growth rate remains at the same level until the end of the year, the total volume of the tourism market will grow by 3.6%. This is 0.5% more than the IMF predicted and the best indicator in the last 10 years.

Three out of four organizations working in the Spanish tourism industry recorded an increase in sales between June and September of this year. Moreover, 71% of companies noted an increase in profits. The number of overnight stays also increased by 5%, although this was largely due to the increase in demand from the Spaniards themselves.

As for foreigners, the most significant increase in demand for hotel rooms was seen among visitors from Portugal (18.2%), the Netherlands (15.9%) and the United States (14.9%). The largest number of bookings were made by the British, French and Dutch. However, the number of Scandinavian and Russian tourists has noticeably decreased. In the period from July to August 2015, the number of overnight stays by Russians decreased by half compared to the same period in 2014.