Britons not put off Spain by weak pound

Thursday April 24th , 2008

The number of British tourists in Spain is not being hit by the weakness of the pound against the euro, a tourism official has said.

According to Ignacio Vasallo of the Turespana Spanish Tourist Board, visitor numbers in 2008 are likely to be comparable and possibly higher than those in 2007.

This, he said, is because British consumers have seen consistent economic growth over the last decade, which means they have "plenty in reserve" to overcome current financial problems.

In addition, he added that the holiday industry in Spain has sufficient expertise to respond to any problems in the sector.

Speaking to the Majorca Daily Bulletin, Mr Vasallo said: "While the credit crunch may persuade British consumers to put off selling the house or buying a new car, it will not deter them from going on holiday this year."

He added that any price increases that result from the strong euro would be offset by the low cost of travelling to Spain.

According to official government figures, the overall number of holidaymakers in Spain went up by 1.7 per cent to more than 59 million last year.