Cristina Hodgson
ANDALUCIA expects to reach the figure of 30 million tourists in 2022—close to pre-pandemic figures.
The forecast is that 30 million visitors will pass through the region in 2022, making it just two and a half million shy of those who stayed in 2019, when coronavirus had not yet paralysed the planet.
In fact, according to the new Andalucian Minister of Tourism, Sports and Culture, Arturo Bernal Bergua, this summer has already seen more than 11.4 million tourists visit the region, a significant 15% increase in visitor arrivals compared to last year.
“We can speak of an almost total recovery in the number of tourists,” Bernal said, during an interview on Canal Sur Radio last Friday, August 5.
Though inflation and energy prices had foreshadowed a very dark autumn, Bernal remains positive.
“The figures tell us that the negative effect we expected to have at the end of 2022 is not happening,” Bernal confirmed.
Despite the energy crisis, the Junta remains optimistic, insisting that the tourism sector has an even better forecast for the last quarter this year than it did pre-pandemic.
That said, the Junta has assured that it will propose measures to have at the ready in case there is a fall in visitors during the autumn
“We are going to work in advance to deal with any situation that may arise,” Bernal concluded.
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