MADRID (AP) — Spain's key tourism industry has seen a 6.1 percent dip in summer holiday arrivals this year amid the global economic downturn, the Tourism Ministry said Friday.
Just over 6.6 million international arrivals were recorded during July, down from the same period the previous year, the ministry said in a statement.
The global recession caused a 10.3 percent drop in arrivals during the first seven months of the year — to 30.2 million tourists after a record total of 33.6 million during the same period in 2008.
Spain has for years consistently been ranked within the world's top three tourist destinations — both by arrivals and income earned — along with France and the U.S.
In late July, Spain's government approved a €1 billion ($1.42 billion) aid plan to help the tourism sector ride the economic recession.
All of Spain's traditional destinations suffered a fall in arrivals except for the capital, Madrid, which saw a 6.6 percent increase.
The largest proportion of foreign tourists came from Britain, with just over 1.6 million arrivals, ahead of France which overtook Germany, the ministry says.
The number of Britons traveling to Spain's holiday resorts — 24.5 percent of Spain's tourism — dropped by a significant 16.1 percent as a phenomenon dubbed "stay-cation" gripped the British Isles.
The southern region of Andalucia, with its historic Moorish monuments and Costa del Sol beaches, suffered the sharpest decline in visitors, with an 11 percent drop.
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The eastern region of Valencia was the least hard hit, with a year-on-year dip of only 0.4 percent and it was this destination that experienced a large increase in French tourism, which rose by 35 percent. French tourism to Madrid was also boosted by 23.4 percent.
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