taken from El Pais:
Travel may support local economies, but some cities can no longer accommodate the flood of visitors.
If it lives up to expectations, 2016 will be a record year for world tourism. Right now the number of travelers (sic) who went abroad for purely-recreational trips in 2015 is a record 1.184 billion. Of these foreign vacationers, Spain received 68.1 million, a figure likely to be overtaken in a matter of months. The latest statistics show that foreign tourists coming to Spain still seek out the sun, flocking to the country's beaches. Catalonia was the most popular destination in 2015, (17.4 million people) followed by the Balearic and Canary Islands (tied at 11.6 million) and Andalusia (9.3 million). The profile of the typical tourist in Spain is British, flying into Catalonia or the Canary Islands, settling into a hotel and spending an average of â,¬116 a day.
The tourism industry is a powerful force in Spain`s economy, generating a wide array of jobs and substantial revenue, but the question is whether the country's long-standing low-cost model can survive its own success. The efforts poured into attracting visitors has caused population density per square meter to exceed capacity in some areas. For example, when the monstrous “Harmony of the Seas†(a cruise ship that`s more like a floating city, able to accommodate 7,000 passengers and 2,000 crew members) suddenly descends on Barcelona, an avalanche of tourists pours down the city's central Las Ramblas thoroughfare, packs out Gaudi`s unfinished Sagrada Familia basilica, overwhelms the BoquerÃa market, and floods the scenic Park Güell.
The paradigm of the mass, “all-inclusive†family vacation can be found at Marina D`Or Ciudad de Vacaciones, a vast seaside complex in Oropesa, Castellón, made up of 15,000 apartments, five hotels and dozens of children`s attractions, restaurants, shops, and spas. Salou (in Tarragona), Lloret de Mar (in Girona) and Magaluf (in Mallorca) are other hugely popular destinations for travelers (sic) seeking fun in the sun washed down with cheap drinks. Given that German travel agency Tui promotes the Balearic Islands as the ideal spot to “party until the doctor comes,†it`s no surprise the islands now hold the title “ethylic excursions†attracting rowdy, disruptive crowds.
The combined availability of low-cost flights and accommodation have done little to counter the tourism sector's race to the bottom, which in the long run, could frighten away visitors looking for a higher quality, more sustainable family vacation. In short, the tourism sector faces the possibility that inebriated, aggressive visitors will take over popular destinations, discouraging higher-end visitors interested in culture, art, history, or food.
In response, a number of city halls are planning to limit tourist numbers to protect their public spaces. The Canarian island of Fuerteventura, its services and resources increasingly under pressure, has set 2.5 million as the maximum number of visitors it can take per year before the island's quality of life begins to erode.
Just looking at Fuereventura in isolation .There are already limits set by the amount of accommodation available.
From what I understand this could be halved if laws on letting out apartments for short term lets is enforced and the economy would collapse.As the hotels are mostly All Inclusive bars ,shops and resuraunts would close.
Quote from: TamaraEnLaPlaya on July 15, 2016, 00:15:53 AM
taken from El Pais:
Travel may support local economies, but some cities can no longer accommodate the flood of visitors.
In response, a number of city halls are planning to limit tourist numbers to protect their public spaces. The Canarian island of Fuerteventura, its services and resources increasingly under pressure, has set 2.5 million as the maximum number of visitors it can take per year before the island's quality of life begins to erode.
I have a query re the 2.5m mentioned above, who are classed as visitors? Are property owners classed as visitors?
If my memory is correct I thought I saw a sign at the airport highlighting 5 million passengers and a report in an article on the web, may be even have been highlighted on this forum, that passenger numbers in February '16 were up 19.3% to 433,377, so multiple that up it comes to well over the 5 million.
I think this needs clarifying :)
There certainly is a sign at the airport stating 5,000000 visitors and yes there have been statements that visitor numbers are up, I am know just confused.
The airport numbers will be all passengers. People hopping back and forth between the islands for example. Those numbers aren't tourists.
Quote from: Will196 on July 15, 2016, 12:14:42 PM
The airport numbers will be all passengers. People hopping back and forth between the islands for example. Those numbers aren't tourists.
makes sense
I accept that the passenger numbers include the inter island people but surely there aren't 2+ million of those, also what about the passengers that use the ferries?
The type of visitor included in the 2.5m needs fully explaining, leisure, business, day or over night, serviced stay (hotel or B&B) or self catering.
When I was involved with our local tourist board a visitor was described as some one who had traveled more than 30 to 40 minutes i.e. if you lived in Penrith and came to Bowness you were classed as a visitor.
There are many ways of analysing statistics to come up with what ever answers suits what you need to know and that suits your case or point of view.
Quote from: Windermeregolfer on July 16, 2016, 09:50:47 AM
a visitor.
There are many ways of analysing statistics to come up with what ever answers suits what you need to know and that suits your case or point of view.
J when I was at Uni centuries ago I wanted to be a statistician, and was sponsered at Uni by a then large multi national company, i realised very quickly that had I continued on that path, I would have spent the rest of my life telling lies, or a version of the truth that suited my masters. :( i
Quote"There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics."
Quote from: Windermeregolfer on July 16, 2016, 09:50:47 AM
I accept that the passenger numbers include the inter island people but surely there aren't 2+ million of those, also what about the passengers that use the ferries?
The type of visitor included in the 2.5m needs fully explaining, leisure, business, day or over night, serviced stay (hotel or B&B) or self catering.
When I was involved with our local tourist board a visitor was described as some one who had traveled more than 30 to 40 minutes i.e. if you lived in Penrith and came to Bowness you were classed as a visitor.
There are many ways of analysing statistics to come up with what ever answers suits what you need to know and that suits your case or point of view.
Fair enough but the airport numbers are going to be a sum of arrivals and departures. Five million means 2.5 round trips.
My guess is a visitor would be somebody staying in tourist accommodation. I always wonder how the systems handle all the sand going down the sewers. Tourists are more likely to spend days on the beach then locals.
Quote from: Will196 on July 16, 2016, 10:50:38 AM
Quote"There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics."
Absolutely correct :)
The grey cells are getting older and I couldn't quite remember the saying "lies, dammed lies & statistics" so very true ;)
Take the point re arrivals and departures numbers making up the 5 million.
The thought that Fuerteventura would cap the number of tourists/visitors is beyond my simple comprehension. If I have learnt one thing about my 15 years living and association with the Island (like anywhere else in Europe), GREED is paramount. They would not turn one single sole away who had money to spend, they would erect tents on the beaches to get them on the Island, anything to get their all important MONEY.
Terrorism in France, Belgium, Tunisia, Egypt.
Military coup in Turkey, bankruptcy in Greece.
Let's face it, if Spain can't get tourists through the airports at the moment their Tourist Board needs the sack.