The Minister of Tourism and Andalusia Exterior, Arturo Bernal, has highlighted the impact of the German market on Andalusia, one of the main global emitters and traditional for the region, due to its contribution to reducing seasonality and its spending capacity, with an expenditure of over 1.6 billion euros in the destination in 2024.
Bernal, on the opening day of the International Tourism Exchange (ITB) in Berlin, emphasized that the increase in the number of German travelers received, with 1.15 million, a 10.3% increase, «is far surpassed by the increase in spending in Andalusia». Thus, the 1.6 billion euros reached last year by the spending of tourists from this country in the region represent about 300 million euros more than in 2023, with a 23% increase, and nearly 450 million more than in 2019, a 38% rise. He assured in this regard that this emitter «maintains the general trend of the destination on which we are working both in origin and in the Andalusian offer, focusing tourism growth on economic impact and improving benefits for the Andalusian territory and its citizens.»
The minister pointed out that the contribution of this emitter «is not limited solely to the number of visitors and their spending, but it also presents other intangibles such as its distribution throughout the year.» Thus, he noted that the preferred months for their stay in the region «are September and October, thus extending the high season into months with lower overall activity compared to the peak summer months.» He considered, however, that Andalusia «has the opportunity to increase market share in the country as a whole,» as the community «is a established destination for Germans, the fourth option in Spain after the islands and Catalonia, but the numbers indicate that this position, while privileged, is heavily influenced by accessibility.»
Companies offered 1.4 million seats on flights to Andalusia last year, an 18.5% increase over 2023, the highest increase among the main Spanish tourist communities and «evidence that the strategy to attract new routes, from connectivity discussions, is bearing fruit.» In this regard, he argued that the numbers «show that there is demand from this market and that the interest in the destination is responding to the growth offered by airlines.» In fact, last year arrivals from German airports to Andalusia reached 1.3 million, a 16.6% increase over 2023.
8% more airline seats in the first semester
This year continues the upward trend, with a 7.9% increase in the number of flights during the first semester and an 8% increase in seats. Thus, he has set as a goal «to attract new air connections and convey to companies that opening a route to Andalusia is a guarantee of profitability.» To continue strengthening connectivity across the Andalusian airport network, contact with companies operating in this market will be intensified, with meetings during the ITB with several airlines, as well as with operators who can offer the destination through charter flights.
In addition to participating in the Berlin event, the action plan for Germany includes around twenty specific actions during this year, with an investment of around 1.5 million euros, a 23% increase from the previous year. Among the planned initiatives are hosting the congress of the German travel agencies association DRV in the community, participating in the specialized cycling tourism fair Eurobike, or having a prominent presence of this market in the thematic forums that the destination will host, focusing on sustainability, premium offerings, active tourism, and nature.
Bernal explained that the German tourist «is a profile that seeks authentic, sustainable, and quality experiences, to whom we must show that Andalusia is evolving in its offerings to become their tourism reference, adapted to their needs and expectations.» To attract a younger audience and consolidate regular visitors, segments that generate a constant flow of travelers, such as cultural, golf, and sports, or premium, will be promoted, an offering that will be a fundamental part of the contacts agenda with intermediaries during the fair where the Andalusian delegation will be accompanied by 60 companies in the work area.
