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More Belgian tourists choose Spain
In the first six months of 2014, more than 900,000 Belgian tourists travelled to Spain, 21% more than in the same period last year, according to figures from the Spanish Ministry of Tourism. In total, foreign tourism in Spain grew by 7.3%.
The largest number of tourists to Spain last year came from the UK, accounting for almost a quarter of the foreign tourists with 5.8%. More tourists also came to Spain from Germany, a rise of 8.8%, and France (up 10.3%). Remarkably, there was a decrease of 4.5% in the number of Russian tourists so far this year, despite a dramatic increase last year in the number of tourists from Russia.
Tour operators confirm Spain’s rising popularity among Belgian travellers: "Spain is our main destination in winter and summer," says Jetair. The difficult political situation in the Middle East also plays a role. "There was pressure on Egypt, which has led to more trips to the Canary Islands, for example," according to Thomas Cook.