Alex Trelinski
JULY’S tourist figures in Andalucia fell by 5.2% compared to 2023 and was the largest drop in two decades, barring the pandemic period.
The month was described as ‘strange’ by a hospitality sector figure who blamed lower visitor numbers on the Euro 2024 football tournament and English tourists going to Germany to watch the action.
Domestic tourism slumped by 11%, but foreign visitor numbers rose by 4.5%.
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The most affected areas were coastal provinces with Cadiz dropping by 10% over a year; a 6% fall in Malaga, and a 4% reduction in Huelva.
Inland Cordoba- popular for its rich heritage- saw a 9% drop, but Jaen was up by over 5% and Sevilla with just under 1%.
Nevertheless, despite Andalucia’s tourist fall, hotel overnight occupancy did rise by 0.5% in July compared to a year earlier- totalling 6.6 million stays and maintaining 40 months of successive growth.
The president of the Andalucian Hotel and Catering Federation, Javier Frutos, said the visitor drop was important for beach bars, bars and restaurants ‘mainly in the first half of July’
Frutos stated that a fall in domestic tourism was ‘very noticeable’ and used Euro 2024 as one of the ‘main reasons for the decrease of British visitors, mainly to the Costa del Sol.”
“Many chose to travel to Germany and that reduced tourism on the Andalucian coast,” he complained.
Frutos said the second half of the month was much better and normal’ for the time of the year in what became a ‘strange July’.
