2014 saw an almost constant increase in the number of foreigners visiting Spain, and the first two months of 2015 seem to boast promising figures for Spanish tourism. January and February saw a marked increase of 9.2 per cent more Britons travelling to Spain on low-cost airlines.
In recent years the rise of the low cost airline has become something many Europeans have come to love, as with cheaper holidays come increased tourism and stronger economic growth. The latest figures released by Spain’s Ministry of Industry, Energy and Tourism show that this trend has not slowed down, with 3.3 million passengers coming and going from Spain on low-cost flights in the first two months of 2015. This figure boasts an impressive increase of 14.4 percent on the figures from the same period in 2014. By the end of February 2015 almost 45% of all international passengers entering and leaving Spain came and went on low-cost airlines – 3 per cent more than the same period last year. The UK represents about one third of this low-cost travel, with Italy, Germany France and the Netherlands trailing behind in their wake.
Despite this increase in the low-cost area of air travel, traditional airlines have fared well over the same period, with their 4.1 million international passengers standing at an increased 1.7 per cent from last year. Ryanair, EasyJet and Vueling accounted for 67% of low-cost flights in and out of Spain in February alone, carrying 30% of the international travellers over the 28 days. Ryanair still looks to be the most popular low-cost company of the big three, at a market share of 16% of travellers alone.
European EHIC Services Ltd., a UK provider of European Health Insurance Cards, takes a keen interest in news such as this. A spokesperson for the company provided the following statement: “It’s good to see that tourism is still on the rise in Spain. Between the fall in holiday and property prices and the current exchange rate working in favour of Britons travelling to Europe, interest in Spain is set to really take off this summer.”
“Before anyone jets off to enjoy the summer sun, it’s important to remember that there are precautions to take before you travel. While it can be easy to forget about health care when you’re travelling to a neighbour as close as Spain, in order to have access to health care at local rates in Spain, you will need to have a valid EHIC on your person.”
