Delving into the travel patterns of the Spanish demographic unveils valuable data for DMOs, agencies, and tourism professionals. The following article, driven by Travellyze data, uncovers key aspects of the Spanish traveller that can significantly shape your destination marketing strategy. Let’s dive in.
General Demographics: A starting point
Demographic data is the first step of every analysis. In the case of Spain, the country has a population of approximately 48 million, and, according to our data, 72% of them fall into the traveller category. This means that 72% of the population wants to travel to one of the 151 destinations we cover in our survey, either within the next 3 years or in the long term.
In the case of Spanish Travellers, the dominating age range is 55 to 64 years old, with 26.28% of the sample, but the 45 to 54-year-old group follows with 19.5% of the sample. As for the top education level, 38% hold a bachelor’s degree or similar, while 36.6% have a vocational education. While 57% of Spanish Travellers are married or cohabiting, 48% of them don’t have children. These demographics lay the foundation for understanding their travel choices.
In the case of Spanish Travellers, the dominating age range is 55 to 64 years old, with 26.28% of the sample, but the 45 to 54-year-old group follows with 19.5% of the sample. As for the top education level, 38% hold a bachelor’s degree or similar, while 36.6% have a vocational education. While 57% of Spanish Travellers are married or cohabiting, 48% of them don’t have children. These demographics lay the foundation for understanding their travel choices.
Household Income and Travel Budget of the Spanish Traveller
Understanding the financial landscape of the Spanish Traveller is pivotal for shaping effective destination marketing strategies. In the past year, household income has seen noteworthy shifts. Notably, there's a nearly 4-point decrease in the "Under 18,000 Euros" group, while the "18,000 to 35,999 Euros" group has grown by 2.5 points. Other segments experiencing growth include "36,000 to 58,999 Euros" (5.6 points) and "59,000 to 85,999 Euros" (2.5 points).
This positive trend in household income is reflected in travel budgets. There's a substantial 9-point decrease in the "Under 1000 Euros" segment and a 4-point decrease in "1,000 to 2,999 Euros," the lowest budget categories. Conversely, growth is observed in segments like "3,000 to 4,999 Euros" (6.6 points), "5,000 to 9,999 Euros" (5.5 points), and "10,000 to 19,999 Euros" (2 points).
Despite economic challenges, 20.6% of respondents reported increasing their travel budgets compared to the previous year, marking a 6-point increase from our 2022 survey. 40% maintained their budgets, while 31.4% reported reductions.
This positive trend in household income is reflected in travel budgets. There's a substantial 9-point decrease in the "Under 1000 Euros" segment and a 4-point decrease in "1,000 to 2,999 Euros," the lowest budget categories. Conversely, growth is observed in segments like "3,000 to 4,999 Euros" (6.6 points), "5,000 to 9,999 Euros" (5.5 points), and "10,000 to 19,999 Euros" (2 points).
Despite economic challenges, 20.6% of respondents reported increasing their travel budgets compared to the previous year, marking a 6-point increase from our 2022 survey. 40% maintained their budgets, while 31.4% reported reductions.
What inspires the Spanish Traveller?
Understanding the sources of inspiration for travellers is crucial for tailoring marketing channels, allocating ad budgets, and refining overall strategy. In our survey, the top travel inspiration channels for the Spanish Traveller are as follows:
1- Friends and Family (66.7% of respondents)
2- Online Review sites such as TripAdvisor (43.3% of respondents)
3- Search Engines, like Google and Bing (42% of respondents)
4- Travel Agency recommendations (38.2% of respondents)
5- Travel TV Programmes (36.3% of respondents)
6- Instagram (36.26% of respondents)
As seen on the ranking, Friends and Family dominate the offline realm, while Online Review sites like TripAdvisor take the lead in the digital space. For DMOs, this insight emphasizes the pivotal role of word-of-mouth recommendations and online reviews. Tactical advice based on this data includes prioritizing influencer collaborations, encouraging user-generated content, and investing in online review platforms to amplify destination appeal.
1- Friends and Family (66.7% of respondents)
2- Online Review sites such as TripAdvisor (43.3% of respondents)
3- Search Engines, like Google and Bing (42% of respondents)
4- Travel Agency recommendations (38.2% of respondents)
5- Travel TV Programmes (36.3% of respondents)
6- Instagram (36.26% of respondents)
As seen on the ranking, Friends and Family dominate the offline realm, while Online Review sites like TripAdvisor take the lead in the digital space. For DMOs, this insight emphasizes the pivotal role of word-of-mouth recommendations and online reviews. Tactical advice based on this data includes prioritizing influencer collaborations, encouraging user-generated content, and investing in online review platforms to amplify destination appeal.
Travel Catalyst and Enablers
Understanding the factors that drive and facilitate travel is crucial for destination marketers. In this context, Travellyze offers two concepts that play a pivotal role: Travel Catalysts and Enablers.
Travel Catalysts are the factors that ignite a traveller's interest and inspire them to explore new destinations. On the other hand, Travel Enablers are the conditions that make the travel experience smoother and more enjoyable.
Unpacking these concepts, we find that the top 5 Travel Catalysts for the Spanish Traveller are:
Travel Catalysts are the factors that ignite a traveller's interest and inspire them to explore new destinations. On the other hand, Travel Enablers are the conditions that make the travel experience smoother and more enjoyable.
Unpacking these concepts, we find that the top 5 Travel Catalysts for the Spanish Traveller are:
In addition, the top 5 Travel Enablers for the Spanish Traveller are:
For DMOs, these insights offer valuable strategic directions. Emphasising marketing efforts around unique town experiences, cultural richness, and nature adventures can capture the interest of Spanish travellers. Simultaneously, ensuring safety, affordability, and convenient travel logistics enhances the overall appeal.
How does the Spanish Traveller behave when travelling?
This section delves into their booking habits, accommodation preferences, holiday types, and transport choices to provide actionable insights for destination marketers.
Spanish travellers exhibit nuanced booking habits, as revealed by our data. A significant 46.2% prefer package trips, including flight and accommodation, primarily booked through online travel agency websites. This preference extends to both domestic and international travels within Europe. However, when venturing beyond Europe, a notable shift occurs. Spanish travellers tend to opt for separate bookings, utilizing price comparison sites such as Momondo or Trivago to secure their flights and accommodations independently.
Turning to accommodation choices, a majority of Spanish travellers lean towards 3 or 4-star hotels, constituting 49% of respondents. Budget hotels or hostels also find favour, with 43.8% opting for these options. Private rentals, exemplified by platforms like Airbnb, secure the third spot, capturing the preference of 29% of Spanish travellers.
Examining holiday types favoured by Spanish travellers unveils sun and beach holidays as the undisputed leader, commanding 71.46% of preferences. Visiting friends and family claim the second spot with 57.55%, closely followed by the allure of a relaxing holiday, capturing 54.22% of preferences.
In the realm of transport preferences, Spanish travellers exhibit a dual inclination. A substantial 76% express a preference for their own vehicle, signalling a penchant for road trips or personal mobility. Simultaneously, 75.5% lean towards Premium Economy or Economy Flights, highlighting both comfort and low prices.
Spanish travellers exhibit nuanced booking habits, as revealed by our data. A significant 46.2% prefer package trips, including flight and accommodation, primarily booked through online travel agency websites. This preference extends to both domestic and international travels within Europe. However, when venturing beyond Europe, a notable shift occurs. Spanish travellers tend to opt for separate bookings, utilizing price comparison sites such as Momondo or Trivago to secure their flights and accommodations independently.
Turning to accommodation choices, a majority of Spanish travellers lean towards 3 or 4-star hotels, constituting 49% of respondents. Budget hotels or hostels also find favour, with 43.8% opting for these options. Private rentals, exemplified by platforms like Airbnb, secure the third spot, capturing the preference of 29% of Spanish travellers.
Examining holiday types favoured by Spanish travellers unveils sun and beach holidays as the undisputed leader, commanding 71.46% of preferences. Visiting friends and family claim the second spot with 57.55%, closely followed by the allure of a relaxing holiday, capturing 54.22% of preferences.
In the realm of transport preferences, Spanish travellers exhibit a dual inclination. A substantial 76% express a preference for their own vehicle, signalling a penchant for road trips or personal mobility. Simultaneously, 75.5% lean towards Premium Economy or Economy Flights, highlighting both comfort and low prices.
Top 5 Destinations for Spanish Travellers
We are wrapping up this in-depth analysis of the Spanish Traveller with a key piece of data: The Top 5 Destination Image Ranking for Spanish Travellers. Our Image Ranking algorithm incorporates dimensions of perception, experience, and awareness to produce a single and easy-to-understand metric. Here’s the ranking for Spanish Travellers:
Looking to elevate your destination marketing efforts and tailor strategies that resonate with the Spanish traveller? Reach out to our team!