Lucy Culpepper – Spain has always been a popular holiday destination among Europeans, but now it seems Americans want some sangria too. According to Spain’s tourism research agency Frontur, arrivals from the U.S. increased by 35.7% to almost 100,000 in March 2013 compared to 2012.
This is the highest growth rate of any nation.
The Costa Blanca is proving to be a popular spot for holidaymakers and there is good access between the area and the United States. Direct flights operate from New York, Atlanta, Miami, Boston, Philadelphia, Newark, Charlotte, Dallas, and LA to Madrid. Then there is the high-speed rail link to Alicante.
However, it isn’t just Americans that are bolstering Spanish tourism. Overall tourism was up 7.9% year-on-year in March 2013. In fact 9.4 million tourists visited Spain between January and March.
British tourists made up just less than one in five (19%) of all arrivals in the country, while Germans accounted for 11.9% of total visitors. The French also increased their share in tourism, with arrivals rising by 16%. Scandinavians were up 13.8% year-on-year. The report, however, did not mention arrivals from Russia and China, two nations hovering on their seats to take up the Spanish government’s proposed “golden visa.”
