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Date Published: 23/12/2024

Brits are abandoning Spain for more attractive holiday destinations, according to tour operator

Rising prices and growing tourism-phobia are reportedly driving the British out of Spain

Visitors from the UK are the life-blood of the Spanish tourism industry and have been for years, easily accounting for the majority of vacation spending up and down the country. But according to tour operators with their fingers on the pulse, this could all change in 2025.

According to TUI, one of Europe's largest tour operators, Britons are beginning to abandon Spain as their main destination and have already found a replacement, or rather, replacements.

Sébastien Ebel, managing director of TUI Group, has reported a noticeable change in the travel patterns of British holidaymakers. "What we're seeing is more people going to Egypt in the winter rather than the Canary Islands," he said.

For budget-conscious tourists, affordability is crucial, and Ebel notes that more and more travellers are finding better value for money outside of Spain in general, and the islands in particular.

"We also see quite often new clients who have less income but still want to travel and have a budget of 1,000 euros or 800 pounds for a holiday. If they don't see it in Spain, they look for alternatives and find them," he added.

With rising costs, capacity issues and protests against mass tourism in Spain, places like Egypt and Tunisia are becoming attractive to those looking to save on their winter sun holidays.

"There is a shift, especially in the family segment, towards more affordable destinations," added Ebel.

EasyJet Holidays has also seen an increase in demand for less frequented destinations such as Egypt and Morocco.

This is very bad news for the Spanish tourism sector, which is more than aware that rising prices are impacting the industry. However, a recent survey of around 5,000 travel agents in Spain reached a very different consensus to TUI, revealing a more “positive outlook” for next year.

The study looked at travellers from all over the world, not just from the UK, and a significant 63% of those surveyed said they expect more holidaymakers to choose Spain in 2025 than in pre-pandemic 2019.

In other news: Spain introduces new system to limit rent increases in 2025

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