Barcelona Spain

You must put Spain Barcelona on your vacation itinerary, you will be glad you did. The natural beauty of the country is stunning whether you approach it from the Mediterranean Sea or from the air. Divided into seventeen communities; Barcelona is in the community of Catalonia.

The Catalonian Community has its own autonomy. As a result, they have their own local government, police and they maintain control over their community which includes their capitol city Barcelona

When you travel there, you will find a city teeming with over 1.5 million people. They gracefully took world center stage in 1992 when they hosted the Olympic Games. The people of Barcelona speak Catalan and Castillian Spanish. Catalan is spoken throughout Catalonia.

The capitol city is historically and culturally a Mediterranean City that has somehow preserved its Gothic City Center. It has a large number of museums that proudly exhibit their art and history throughout the ages. Visiting the museums is a must because they enable you to get a better understanding and a greater appreciation for the unique culture.

Barcelona is deeply Catholic. One of the best times for a family visit is early Spring during Easter. They have plenty of processions, passion plays and pageantry. It is a great time to visit. Barcelona is known for its small romantic streets and quaint shops. They lure you in as you stroll about with your partner.

This place is definitely on for honeymooners. The beautiful coastline along the Mediterranean Sea is a magnet for tourists. It boasts 5,000 kilometers of coastline along with breathtaking beaches. This area has also provided an added boost to the economy of Spain.

At the end of last year tourism bosses were extremely concerned with the low number of European holidaymakers. The first quarter of this year has seen a marked increase in tourists. There has been somewhat of a visitor resurgence with over ten million holiday makers in the slow months of January, February and March. The vast majority of visitors came from the United Kingdom, followed closely by Germany.

Actually, the number of British arrivals showed a slight drop; while more than 6 per cent extra visitors from Germany ensured a good start for 2007. The Canary Islands turned out to be the most popular community. The Costa del Sol, is a yearly favorite of the British. They are generally looking to thaw out from their brutally cold winter. The warm Spanish sun afforded them a welcome sunny break and in turn gave a much needed boost in arrivals.
Article source: ContentLog.com

Spain Beats Off 2007 Eastern Tourist Competition

Concerned tourism bosses in Spain are winning the battle for European holidaymakers, with an impressive 5 per cent rise in visitor numbers for 2007 so far.

The country welcomed over ten million holiday makers in January, February and March - normally viewed as off peak months.

The highest number of visitors came from the United Kingdom, followed closely by Germany.

It was mainly due to the Germans that the numbers were up, as the number of British arrivals actually showed a slight drop, while more than 6 per cent extra visitors from Germany ensured a good start for 2007 for Spain.

The Canary Islands were the most popular part of Spain. Lanzarote, Tenerife, Gran Canaria and Fuerteventura enjoy warm winters due to their geographical location near Africa, and have a strong appeal for Britons facing their winter.

The Costa del Sol, a perennial favourite of the British seeking a winter sunshine break enjoyed a boost in arrivals.

The Balearic Island also recorded a rise in visitors.

The Balearics consist of Menorca (the smallest island), Majorca and Ibiza. The small rise compared to the Canary Islands isn’t too much of a surprise as Menorca has a season that traditionally is at its peak early May to end September, but is now trying to extend that from mid April to mid October.

As part of the Balearic Islands, Mallorca has welcomed many visitors back to live full time on the island. Menorca property has proved popular too, for those looking for a gentler pace of life than big sister Mallorca.

Property prices in Mallorca are similar to Menorca property, with a range of apartments and villas in both rural and town locations, and with twenty golf courses plenty of golf course developments too on Mallorca.

Menorca has just the one golf course, recently extended to eighteen holes, and is located in Son Parc, which has a choice of hotels, apartments and villas for holiday makers.

The cost of flying to Mallorca has come down in recent years from most European countries due to low cost airlines, especially in the island’s core tourist areas of the United Kingdom and Germany, and last year easyJet started direct flights from London’s Gatwick Airport to the sister island of Menorca, as well as serving Mallorca itself.

Despite competition from other destinantions, Mallorca looks set to remain a favourite holiday spot for some time to come.

How the second quarter official figures go remains to be seen, but Spain could see a further drop in British arrivals compared to last year.

An unusually warm spell of weather for five weeks in April in the UK could mean that more Brits have booked summer holidays in their home country.

The warm weather, increased airport departure taxes, and environmentally aware travellers could shun an overseas holiday this year.

The new environment warnings of ‘carbon footprints’ is impacting the travel market, with news bulletins regularly reporting that taking a flight adds to global warming. If holidaymakers take heed Spain might also see a drop in visitors from Germany, Scandanavia and other European countries.
Article source: ContentLog.com