Spain - Gaining Winter Tourists

Leading travel websites are reporting Spain has benefited greatly from the increase in British tourists.

Surprising to many people is that Spain also attracts skiers.

Spain's most successful ski resorts are in the Pyrenees Mountains. Many snow-loving Brits have booked ski holidays in Spain for the 2007 - 2008 seasons.

Some of the most popular ski destinations include the eastern Pyrenees Mountains and further south the Sierra Nevada. Despite the usually sunny climate of the Sierra Nevada, it has hosted the World Alpine Ski Championships.

Other popular ski holiday spots in Spain include:
* Baqueira-Beret
* Boi-Taull
* La Molina
* Astun
* Candanchu
* Cerler
* Formigal
* Panticosa
* Sierra Nevada

The most recent predictions of a great ski season are based on Spain's rise in tourism in the 2007 summer months. Some hot holiday spots in Spain received as many as 560 per cent more tourists as the previous year. The Canary Island of Tenerife (176 per cent rise), Gran Canaria (244 per cent rise) and Lanzarote (120% rise) base most of their economic growth on tourism. Their dedication to holiday travelers and tourists has more than paid off.

Other areas of Spain that saw a significant rise in tourism include:

* Fuerteventura at 560 per cent
* Benidorm at 213 per cent
* Malaga Province 329 per cent

Algarve, Madeira, Marrakech and Sharm el Sheikh also report rises in tourism over the summer and look forward to winter visitors.

In addition to ski holiday traffic from January to March 2008, the Canary Islands will host the 24th Annual Music Festival of the Canaries. This additional boost in tourism will greatly benefit the tourism activities promoted on the Canary Islands.

A very popular holiday destination for Brits in the summer of 2007 was Menorca. Menorca is one of the Balearic Islands located in the Mediterranean sea, southeast of Spain. Menorca is well known as a smaller, much more private holiday spot than neighboring Majorca. Majorca is much more densely populated than Menorca with many celebrities owning homes there such as Michael Douglas and wife Catherine Zeta Jones and Antonio Banderas. Both Majorca and Menorca have a lot to offer their annual visitors. Where Majorca offers a bustling night life, white beaches and celebrities; Menorca provides more privacy, quiet coves and shaded areas.

No matter what time of year you plan your holiday, Spain has something to offer you. Beautiful resort islands offer summertime fun, diving, boating and other water sports. The Mediterranean Sea is home to a whole new underwater world. Divers from around the world enjoy diving near Menorca, Majorca and the Canary Islands. Many of the island resorts offer fun for the entire family and special kids' club fun for the kids.

Due to Spain having the second highest altitude in Europe, it is also the perfect holiday destination for those who enjoy winter sports such as skiing or snowboarding. There is a wide selection of ski resorts in the Pyrenees Mountains, Sierra Nevada and the Cantabrian Mountains.