1.3m Irish tourists expected in Spain this year

More than 1m Irish sun-seekers will visit Spain this year, despite being all but pauperised by the recession and increased taxation.

Tens of thousands will visit the Lanzarote in the Canary Islands, more than even British visitors and third in number to German and Italian tourists.

Well heeled or not, they will — as always — be more than welcome, says Gonzalo Ceballos, director of the Spanish Tourism office in Dublin who yesterday launched a three-city roadshow for travel agents.

Concentrating on Valencia, which includes the Costa Blanca and the Canary Islands, the events in Dublin (yesterday), Cork (today), and Galway (tomorrow) will remind travel professionals what Spain has to offer.

“Basically, we are offering a brush-up on what the Canary Islands and the Valencia region have for their clients and to outline to them what the latest offerings are in these destinations.”

Mr Ceballos says the Irish people have shown amazing loyalty to Spain over the past 50 years.

“Spain was the first destination chosen by the Irish seeking a holiday in the sun. It is still the favourite destination. This year we expect that in the region of 1.28m Irish tourists will travel to Spain on holiday... It represents 28% of the entire population in Ireland.

“We also need to highlight the excellent flight connections from Ireland... You can be in Valencia in around two hours and the Canary Islands in four.”

Kathryn MacDonnell, travel trade manager with the Spanish Tourism Office, outlined the connections: “There are about 26 routes during the winter and more than 60 in the summer.”

The roadshow will also emphasise that the Canary Islands are an all-year round destination.

“The islands enjoy a temperate climate all year, with an average temperature of 26C to 28C, so they are just as pleasant in the summer as in winter,” said Mr Ceballos.