Spain hails rise in shoulder-season travel from UK

Spain has recorded a slight year-on-year increase in the number of UK visitors between January and April, hailing the result as a sign its shoulder-season strategy is succeeding.

The number of UK travellers in the year to the end of April rose by 2.46% year on year, reaching 4.85 million, with April arrivals increasing by 2.71% year on year.

Spanish Tourist Office UK director Manuel Butler said: “It’s encouraging to see that one of our key objectives – driving growth in the shoulder season – is taking shape.”

Annual spend per visitor is “broadly stable”, Butler said, at about €1,140, while the cumulative UK spend from January to April rose by 0.33%.

Butler issued the updates in his final UK media briefing as chair of the tourist office, with his five-year term soon coming to a close.