Price rises and extreme heat: why the numbers of French and German holidaymakers in Spain are falling
The weakness of both economies, combined with the increase in services and rising temperatures, explain the decline of two of the country's main tourist markets.
Johanna Mecke, a 25-year-old German student, decided to take her vacation in Spain early this year to avoid the summer heat. “We came the last week of May and it was perfect. We had beach and summer temperatures, but we didn't go over 30 degrees,” she says over the phone. She travels to the country frequently since she spent a semester in Granada, but this time she prepared the trip more carefully than in other years.
She compared prices, looked for offers, and in the end opted for staying in an Airbnb instead of a hotel and renting a hybrid car to keep the budget in check. “If traveling were cheaper, we would do it for longer,” she summarizes. Her experience reflects some of the changes that are starting to be noticeable among European visitors and helps explain why two of the main national tourist markets, Germany and France, are losing momentum this year.
Translated by urgent.news from El Pais Economia's report; automated translation may contain errors. Machine-written — it may contain errors, so check the original before relying on it.
