Monday March 18, 2024 11:56 AM
One of the priority tourism strategies of the Andalusian government is to position the region in long-haul markets, with a focus on Asia.
Air connectivity started to develop again last year after the pandemic; the region does not yet have direct flights to Asia, but has connections to Istanbul and soon to Doha, opening the door to Asian markets.
However, the figures show that Andalusian destinations attract Korean and Japanese travelers. The growth is exponential. This was announced by the Regional Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sports, Arturo Bernal, who explained that last year hotels in the region welcomed 171,108 tourists from South Korea, 288% more than the previous year, while their overnight stays were 215,908, an increase of 248%.
The rapid growth rate is similar in the case of Japan; Hotel accommodation in Andalusia received 66,036 visitors from this country, 224% more than in 2022, representing 93,542 overnight stays, an increase of 152%.
Bernal emphasized the importance of events such as the conferences organized by the Spanish tourism board Turespaña this week in the two markets, through which around 140 travel agents and tourism industry professionals from Japan and South Korea were introduced to the attractions and new offers of Andalusia.
“Promoting Andalusia in both countries is part of Junta’s strategy to strengthen our position in long-haul markets,” Bernal said, adding that the US, Latin America, the Middle East and traditional Asian markets are the main targets.
The minister said that around 70 Korean agents, more than 70 from Japan and five from Taiwan participated in the workshops, contacted the Andalusian delegation along with around thirty Spanish organizations and companies.
“Japan is a market with great potential for Andalusia, due to the high average spending of tourists, their contribution to boosting tourism outside the peak season and their demand for products such as cultural and culinary trips focused on architecture or natural areas,” he said, adding that the preferences of Korean tourists are similar.
“They are curious about urban life and the history of the places they visit, choose safe destinations with stable infrastructure and show a growing interest in preserving cultural and natural heritage,” he said.
Improvement across Spain .
Turespaña said 34 destinations participated in the event and more than 900 bilateral meetings were held with visiting travel agents.
Nationally, these markets are also showing strong growth. Turespaña said 310,590 Japanese tourists visited the country in 2023, up 150 percent from a year earlier. These travelers spent €840 million in Spanish destinations, representing an average spend of over €2,700 and an average daily spend of €490, one of the highest among Spain’s home countries.
As for Korea, Turespaña said that 434,372 tourists visited Spain last year, with an increase of 140% and spending of 1.27 billion euros, i.e. an average of 2,931 euros per day. Meanwhile, 82,540 Taiwanese tourists traveled to Spain in 2023, which is 389% more compared to 2022 and only 18% less than before the pandemic, which includes spending of 247 million euros, i.e. . in the amount of 3000 euros per day.
