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One of the Andalusian government's priority tourism strategies is to position region in long-haul markets, with the focus on Asia.
Air connectivity started to pick up again last year following the pandemic; the region still does not have direct flights with Asia, although it does have connections with Istanbul and soon Doha, which open the door to Asian markets.
Even so, figures show that Andalusian destinations are attracting Korean and Japanese travellers. The growth has been exponential. This was reported by the regional minister of tourism, culture and sport, Arturo Bernal, who explained that last year the region's hotels welcomed 171,108 travellers from South Korea, 288% more than the previous year, while their overnight stays amounted to 215,908, an increase of 248%.
The fast rate of increase is similar in the case of Japan; Andalucía's hotel accommodation received 66,036 visitors from this country, 224% more than in 2022, accounting for 93,542 overnight stays, a 152% increase.
Bernal stressed the importance of events such as the conferences organised by Spanish tourist board Turespaña this week in both markets through which some 140 travel agents and tourism industry professionals from Japan and South Korea have been introduced to the attractions and new proposals of Andalucía.
"The promotion of Andalucía in both countries is part of the Junta's strategy to strengthen our positioning in long-haul markets," said Bernal adding that the United States, Latin America, the Middle East and traditional Asian markets are the main targets.
The minister said that around 70 Korean agents, more than 70 from Japan and five from Taiwan participated in the workshops, contacted the Andalusian delegation along with some thirty Spanish organisations and companies.
"Japan is a market with great potential for Andalucía, due tourists' high average spending, their contribution to boosting tourism outside peak season and their demand for products such as cultural and culinary trips, focusing on architecture or natural areas," he said, adding that Korean tourists' preferences are similar.
"They are curious about urban life and the history of the places they visit, they opt for safe destinations with a robust infrastructure and show a growing interest in the preservation of cultural and natural heritage," he said.
Improvement throughout Spain .
Turespaña said that 34 destinations participated in the event and more than 900 bilateral meetings were held with the guest travel agents.
On a national level, these markets are also showing strong growth. Turespaña said that 310,590 Japanese tourists visited the country in 2023, 150% more than a year earlier. These travellers have spent 840 million euros in Spanish destinations, which represents an average spending of more than 2,700 euros and an average daily spend of 490 euros, one of the highest among the countries of origin to Spain.
As for Korea, Turespaña said that 434,372 tourists visited Spain last year, with an increase of 140% and an expenditure of 1.27 billion euros, that is, an average of 2,931 euros per day. Meanwhile, 82,540 Taiwanese tourists travelled to Spain in 2023, which is 389% more than in 2022 and just 18% fewer than before the pandemic, involving an expenditure of 247 million euros, i.e. at a rate of 3,000 euros per day.
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