Tourism

Spain Golf Holidays – Spain welcomed 4.1 million tourists in January

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Canary Islands were the most visited region in Spain last january

Canary Islands attracted the most tourists to Spain in January

According to figures released by the National Institute of Statistics (INE), January 2023 saw 4.1 million international tourists visit Spain, a 65.8% increase over the same month last year. These visitors spent about 5.218 billion euros while they were in the country, an increase of 71.1%.

Statistics on Tourist Movements at Borders (FRONTUR) figures reveal that the United Kingdom was the country that sent the most tourists to Spain, with 742,212, 17.9% of the total, doubling the amount reported in January 2022.

There were also a large number of visitors from France and Germany. France contributed with 485,116 tourists and Germany with another 478,258. On the other hand, the United States, Italy and Ireland were the countries that registered the biggest annual growth.

The Canary Islands attract the most tourists, accounting for 32.7% of all visitors and seeing a spending rise of 50.9%; Madrid comes in second, with 16.8% of all visitors and a spending increase of 127.6%; and Catalonia, with 15.4% of all visitors and a spending increase of 83.7%.

After these, the next three most popular destinations are Andalusia (13%), Costa Blanca (10.3%), and the Balearic Islands (2.8%).

The average length of stay for all these tourists was 8.5 days, which is down 1.3 days from last year’s figures.

Spain is one of the most popular golf holiday destinations in Europe and has some of the best golf courses on the European continent.

Book your golf holidays in Spain with Tee Times Golf Agency and enjoy the stunning golf courses, the glamorous hotels, the great food, the amazing weather, and the vibrant Spanish culture and way of life.

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Portugal Golf – Golf generated record revenues in Portugal in 2022

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Vale do Lobo Royal Golf Course. Golf generates record revenues in Portugal.

Green fees generated record revenues in Portugal last year

In counter cycle with the peaks in tourism demand, golf is preparing for its first high season of year, which starts in March and lasts until May. With the great revenues obtained in 2022 following the interregnum imposed by the pandemic, there is reason for confidence.

Revenues from golf in Portugal hit a record high of 154 million euros in 2022, a 6 percent rise from 2019, the last year before the pandemic, thanks to a total of 3 million rounds played. However, the actual effect of the sport on the Portuguese economy is expected to be far greater.

“The 154 million euros are only from green fees, not from any additional purchases made while at the golf course. rental of buggies, provision of meals, and teaching of related skills are only a few examples of the many businesses revolving around this sport”, says Frederico Brion Sanches, board member of the National Council of the Golf Industry (CNIG).

Foreign tourists are the main ones responsible for record revenues in the country, representing 80 percent of the rounds played last year. It is in the Algarve that the international market assumes greater weight (92 percent) with the British and Irish in the majority, followed by the Scandinavians and France.

“Playing four or five times throughout a week in Portugal is the norm for visitors from other countries. Non-Portuguese players are responsible for a significantly greater number of rounds compared to their Portuguese counterparts”, as Brion Sanches puts it.

Portugal has made the first step in establishing itself as a golf destination, and the country’s worldwide accolades enable it to compete with its key competitors, like Spain or Italy.

In 2019, for the sixth year in a row, Portugal has been named Europe’s Best Golf Destination by the World Golf Awards, and it has also been chosen as Europe’s Best Golf Destination by the World Travel Awards five times.

Frederico Brion Sanches thinks the industry has a lot to develop, but he cautions that more flights, more destinations, better air connections, and more convenient schedules are all essential, and defends an air bridge between Lisbon and the Algarve.

The lack of human resources, transversal to all areas of tourism, is another of the challenges pointed out by Brion Sanches, along with sustainability.

“Last but not least, we should expand our efforts to promote Portugal as a golf holiday destination. We are talking about more marketing campaigns and the constant promotion of Portugal as a golf destination”, he concludes.

Book your golf holidays in Portugal with Tee Times Golf Agency and enjoy some of the best golf courses in Europe.

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Portugal Golf Holidays – Study shows how tourists perceive the Algarve

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Benagil Beach, Algarve. Tourists have a good impression of the Algarve

Tourists and residents shared their opinions about the Algarve

The perception of tourism in the Algarve has been recently updated according to two surveys. Although visitors generally have a quite good view of the region, locals are well aware of the industry’s significance to the area’s economy.

The two reports, dubbed RESTUR (for residents) and TurExperience (for tourists), were produced by the University of the Algarve’s Research Centre for Tourism, Sustainability and Wellbeing (CinTurs) and presented at the regional tourist board’s (RTA) headquarters.

Visitors from Portugal and other countries in the area, such as the United Kingdom, Spain, France, the Netherlands, Germany, and Ireland, were among those who participated in the survey.

In the TurExperience study, researchers aimed to respond to the question, “How do tourists feel and view the Algarve as a destination?”.

“Whilst there have been previous studies on the demographics of the region’s visitors, we hope to draw attention to the fact that the present investigation was conducted all year round”. The coordinator of the study, Manuela Guerreiro, remarked, “We did not limit ourselves to just one month or two”.

To sum up, the results demonstrate that the Algarve is widely regarded as a “reputable and trustworthy destination”, as seen by the high proportion of repeat visitors.

But, visitors’ trust in the region is unrelated to its history and culture, thus this is where the Algarve should concentrate its efforts. “We need to make more of an effort to strengthen our identity” Guerreiro added.

Regional tourist board president, João Fernandes, is thrilled with the study’s positive findings. He said it was reassuring to know that visitors had a generally favourable impression of the region.

Findings from RESTUR were also presented, which supported Fernandes’ claim that locals recognise and appreciate tourism’s contribution to the economy. The vast majority of the 4,026 citizens polled in the Algarve’s 16 municipalities agreed that tourism helps the economy grow and provides new opportunities for people to find work.

Book your golf holidays in the Algarve with Tee Times Golf Agency and explore the amazing golf courses and this stunning tourist destination.

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