Spain still a top destination for holidaymakers

September 3, 2011 – 9:12 am
Spain remains one of the top destinations for holidaymakers around the
world, as tourist numbers and property enquiries both increased this
summer.
Figures released by the Frontier Tourist Movement reveal that Spain has
received 7.4 per cent more international tourists this year compared to the
same time in 2010, proving that the country’s beaches and culture are still
attracting visitors.
Around 32.3 million international tourists visited Spain between January
and July of this year, with July alone welcoming 7.5 million tourists. Up
to July 2011, Spanish airports received nearly 36.5 million passengers. The
busiest budget airline was Ryanair, which experienced a 25% increase in air
traffic to Spain.

Unsurprisingly, visitors from the UK led the way with 7.4 million
passengers (35.8 per cent), while Germany and Italy followed with 4.2m (20
per cent) and 2.2m (10.7 per cent).

The biggest rise to Spanish shores came from Swedish visitors (40.8 per
cent), who are purchasing an increasing amount of property in Spain. France
and the Netherlands also saw their number of tourists grow. Estate agent
Spanish Hot Properties comments: “Of all the tourists who chose to holiday
in the Costa del Sol, around 72% said they were attracted mainly by the
prospect of sun and sand which will come as no shock considering the
region’s exceptional climate.”

Spain continued to attract foreign interest in August too, Robin Brayne, Commercial Director of the overseas property portal, comments: “Once again, Spain is head and shoulders above the rest of Europe. People remain attracted by the country’s sunny coast and relaxed lifestyle, and further interest has been fuelled by the glut of repossessed & distressed properties being sold on by Spanish banks, offering homes at
superb value.”

Of course the Canary Islands, perticularly Tenerife remain popular for sales and purchase of propertyand holidays. As Spanish tourism soars this summer, the property market is looking increasingly sunny.

By Angela | Posted in Economy, General, Health, Holiday, Inspirational, Miscellaneous Articles, Property, Tenerife, Things to Do, Weather | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (0)

Sellers asking less for their homes at the cheaper end of the market

July 18, 2011 – 9:02 am

The number of vendors asking less for their homes leapt to 30,646 in May, 7% of all vendors and an increase of 73pc on last year. They reduced asking prices by an average of 8.2pc in a year.

So far this year 134,107 vendors have dropped their asking prices, 69pc more than last year and 31pc of the total.

In total, vendors are now asking 700 million Euros less in a month, 3.2 billion less this year, and 6.4 billion less in the last 12 months. That is potentially a huge transfer of wealth from vendors to buyers.

The biggest number of vendors asking less was at the cheaper end of the market, with 8.3pc of vendors with asking prices below €200,000 dropping their prices, compared to 6.5pc of vendors asking more than €600,000.

In value terms, however, prices at the cheaper end fell by an average of 8.6pc compared to 9.3pc for more expensive homes. This is the time to visit a reputable estate agent and look for that bargain in Tenerife, whether it is a cheaper property or a prime property.

By Angela | Posted in Economy, General, Health, Holiday, Inspirational, Miscellaneous Articles, Property, Tenerife, Things to Do, Weather | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (0)

Tourism in Spain indicates property collapse may only be temporary

March 10, 2011 – 11:54 am

Tenerife and Spanish property slump may be temporary as tourism on the rise once more

Despite its economic woes, tourists are still flocking in their millions to Spain and Tenerife, indicating the current collapse in property values will more than likely only be temporary – last year the country recorded the highest number of hotel stays out of any country in Europe, according to EU statistics body Eurostat. It’s no surprise then that international hotel group Marriott has chosen Spain as the destination to launch its new Autograph brand onto the European market.

Launched successfully in the United States last year, Autograph represents the group’s entrance into the upscale boutique hotel market, following the success of the InterContinental Group’s similar boutique chain, Hotel Indigo. The four new hotels planned in the Spanish cities of Madrid, Granada and the ski resort of Baqueira in the Pyrenees will be constructed from refurbished heritage properties already owned by European hotel group AC Hotels.

Both the AC Santo Mauro and AC Palacio de Retiro hotels in Madrid have been converted from historic houses to 50-room boutique hotels, while the Granada property, AC Palacio de Santa Paula, was a former convent. If successful, Marriott will expand the quirky heritage-turned-modern hotel brand into Italy and Portugal over the next three years.

“We are thrilled to launch the Autograph Collection in Europe with such a dynamic and distinguished group of hotels”, said managing director of Marriott International Europe, Amy McPherson. “Each of these properties offers a truly unique guest experience and fits perfectly within the positioning of the Autograph Collection.”

As the first major hotel launch in Spain since the collapse of the property market plunged its economy into a national debt crisis, the presence of the new Autograph brand will boost both the country’s economy and its public image. With major hospitality brands like Marriott showing confidence in Spain again, the recovery of the property industry can’t be too far behind both on the mainland and in the Canary Islands.

By Angela | Posted in Economy, General, Health, Holiday, Inspirational, Miscellaneous Articles, Property, Tenerife | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (0)

Still pain in Spain

October 23, 2009 – 9:42 am
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The pain in Spain's property market continues, although some areas including Tenerife are fairing better.

Data  shows that resale Spain property values dropped at a slower pace of decline in Q2, compared to the preceding quarter.
Resale Spanish home values fell by 12.5% in the first quarter of 2009, but slowed to a decline of 11.2% in the second quarter.

The index also claim that Spanish areas traditionally popular with foreign investors, such as Tenerife, Andalucia and Murcia, are holding up well. But areas such as Madrid, Catalonia, and the Basque Country, where values appreciated the most during the boom years, experienced that largest price declines.

Despite the government data, some people  are dubious of the figures and advise caution stating that new-build Spain property prices have fallen by far more than the report suggests.

By Angela | Posted in Economy, General, Inspirational, Miscellaneous Articles, Property, Tenerife, Things to Do, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (0)