SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, 16th March (EUROPA PRESS) –
Led by La Laguna, the Group consisting of 15 Spanish cities listed as World Heritage sites participated in the Turespaña Professional Conference for Marketing Support targeting the South Korean, Japanese, and Taiwanese markets in Seoul and Tokyo this week.
The president of the Group and mayor of La Laguna, Luis Yeray Gutiérrez, emphasized that this marketing initiative is a result of the collaboration between the Group and Turespaña to promote the 15 cities internationally. “These conferences play a crucial role in enhancing the reputation of our cities in a market with significant growth prospects, allowing us to provide firsthand information about our tourism and cultural offerings,” he remarked.
Gutiérrez highlighted that the Asia-Pacific region “presents a substantial opportunity with the introduction of new direct air routes connecting Spain with Japan and South Korea, two countries that generate a considerable number of tourists.” These markets are continuously expanding and exhibit high spending levels, as Japanese tourists typically spend around 490 euros per day per person during their visits,” he added.
According to Turespaña, Iberia will recommence direct flights between Madrid and Tokyo in October, adding to the seven weekly flights from Barcelona and the three connecting Madrid with South Korea, in addition to the approval for the air route between the latter country and Spain received by the South Korean airline T’Way Air.
Gutiérrez also mentioned that the Group’s robust international promotional campaign in March included participating in the ITB in Berlin, upcoming events in the United States and Canada, and a significant focus on promoting these fifteen cities in the Asian market.
The conferences in Seoul and Tokyo provided an opportunity for Spanish destinations and companies to engage with 71 Japanese, 70 South Korean and five Taiwanese travel agencies, enabling representatives from the destinations to establish direct connections. The Group’s Tourism technician, Patricia Hernández, was in attendance at the conferences.
SOUTH KOREA MARKET
According to the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO), the number of South Korean outbound tourists surpassed 20.3 million departures between January and November 2023. This marks a 293.4% growth compared to the same period in 2022 and a recovery of 77% compared to 2019.
Although slightly below 2019 levels, the South Korean market exhibited growth throughout 2023, maintaining the momentum from 2022 and heading towards pre-pandemic levels (already exceeded in terms of expenditure). Similar to the previous year, the increase is triple-digit: tourist numbers rose by +140.7%; spending increased by +115.2%, and hotel overnight stays grew by +179.5%.
In 2023, just over 433 thousand South Korean tourists visited Spain, accounting for 0.5% of the total number of tourists, spending an estimated 1.27 billion euros (1.2% of the total). The average daily expenses per person reached 2,934 and 368 euros, with an average stay of 8 nights.
Airline seat availability remains critical, with some companies improving their offerings during specific seasons (such as Korean Air), introducing charter flights (like Air Premia), or planning to launch new routes to Europe (like T’Way Air, potentially including Seoul-Barcelona).
JAPAN MARKET
In 2023, Spain welcomed 310,590 Japanese tourists, marking a 150% increase from the previous year. These visitors collectively spent 840 million euros, averaging over 2,700 euros per tourist throughout their stay, equivalent to 490 euros per day per traveller.
With pandemic-related restrictions lifted, the Japanese market has witnessed a resurgence in tourist numbers. According to the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO), the provisional count of Japanese outbound tourists between January and November 2023 reached 8,876,200 individuals (a 270.85% increase over the previous year).
Even though not all flight connections have fully resumed, 2023 concluded with a significant three-digit increase in tourists (+150.7%) and hotel overnight stays (+128.4%). Although expenditure exhibited remarkable growth, it was slightly lower than the growth rates of tourists and overnight stays (+71.8%).
Last year, more than 311 thousand Japanese tourists visited Spain, representing 0.4% of the total tourists, spending around 842 million euros (0.8% of the total). The average daily spending per person was 2,705 and 490 euros, with an average stay of 5.5 nights.
TAIWAN MARKET
According to Turespaña data, while still below pre-pandemic levels (-31% compared to 2019), Taiwanese outbound travel saw a robust year-on-year recovery, increasing from 1.5 million tourists in 2022 to 11.8 million in 2023, a 696% rise.
Regarding visits to Spain, the number of Taiwanese tourists is approaching 2019 levels (-18.5%), with 82,540 visitors in 2023, a 389.4% increase from the 16,865 visitors in 2022. Expenditure shifted from 48 million euros in 2022 to 247 million in 2023, with a slight decrease in daily expenses (from €304 to €277) and an increase in average spending per person from €2,825 to €2,995. The average stay also rose from 9.3 days in 2022 to 10.8 days in 2023.
Taiwanese travellers show a keen interest in culture, international brand shopping, gastronomy, and hiking. They typically visit multiple cities and opt for luxury accommodation, often choosing five-star hotels.
