Glenn Wickman
THE Valencia region has overtaken Catalunya on the ranking of preferred domestic tourism destinations for Spaniards.
Only Andalucia remains more popular than the Valencia region with Catalunya in third place, while cars and boats have taken the place of planes as the preferred method of transport within the country.
With severe restrictions still in force for international visitors, the domestic market is being hailed as the saviour of this year’s summer campaign.
And things are looking good for the Valencian Community, as new figures published this week by Turespaña reveal that 18% of Spanish holidaymakers plan to spend their break over here.
Last year, and keeping in mind that the coronavirus pandemic was in full swing, only 10% of those questioned throughout the country chose Valencia, Alicante or Castellon as their preferred destination.
Spain in general continues to be one of the preferred holiday destinations for British, German, French and Italian visitors, with one in four travellers from those countries planning to spend the summer at a Spanish destination.
With regards to international air travel, Alicante and Valencia airports have also improved their rating compared to previous years and are now respectively ranked sixth and seventh on the list of preferred places to land in Spain.
Although business is still said to be slow, airlines are maintaining their summer slots awaiting the reactivation of the market as the COVID vaccination campaign advances and full normality is expected at some point this year.
Turespaña director Miguel Sanz predicts a ‘steady recovery’ this summer, adding that the global desire to travel this year is comparable to 2019.
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