BENALMÁDENA, Spain: Few Spaniards would sacrifice their annual summer vacation. But while Spain's beaches are still busy, shops and restaurants at its resorts are ominously quiet as the country's economic crisis envelops the tourism industry. After 50 years of uninterrupted growth, Spain's overbuilt and relatively expensive resorts seem ill-placed to cope with a downturn, at a time of increasing competition from cheaper, less-crowded destinations like Croatia and Turkey. "In 48 years, I have never seen losses like this; tourism bosses I'm talking to have never suffered so much," said Domenec Biosca, president of Spain's Association of Tourism Directors and Experts. He said that in many parts of the country, tourism was already in deep recession, as both Spaniards and foreigners travel less distance, stay less time and spend less money.
BENALMÁDENA, Spain: Few Spaniards would sacrifice their annual summer vacation. But while Spain's beaches are still busy, shops and restaurants at its resorts are ominously quiet as the country's economic crisis envelops the tourism industry.
After 50 years of uninterrupted growth, Spain's overbuilt and relatively expensive resorts seem ill-placed to cope with a downturn, at a time of increasing competition from cheaper, less-crowded destinations like Croatia and Turkey.
"In 48 years, I have never seen losses like this; tourism bosses I'm talking to have never suffered so much," said Domenec Biosca, president of Spain's Association of Tourism Directors and Experts.
He said that in many parts of the country, tourism was already in deep recession, as both Spaniards and foreigners travel less distance, stay less time and spend less money.
And it is indeed foregners, not Spaniards, that vacation in Benalmádena or in September... A vivid image of what should exist acts as a surrogate for reality. Pursuit of the image then prevents pursuit of the reality -- John K. Galbraith
