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Survey discovers Spain as favorite destination for European tourists

Xinhua, May 5, 2015 Adjust font size:

Spain will once again be the number one destination for European tourists, according to a survey published by the consultancy company YouGov on Monday.

The survey of 7,562 people from seven European countries showed that 25 percent of Britains asked about the destination for their 2015 holidays said they were coming to Spain, as did 28 percent of French and 17 percent of Germans asked.

Spain is also popular among Swedes of whom 16 percent said they would visit Spain this year, along with 18 percent of Italians and 15 percent of the Dutch who were questioned.

However, despite Spain's continued popularity as a holiday destination, which saw over 65 million foreign visitors visit the country last year, the different nationalities questioned all have their own preferences over where they want to visit and different habits.

Italians, Swedes and Brits all have the Canary Islands as their favored destination, while the French and the Germans prefer the Catalan Region in the north east of the country.

The Brits give their main reason for travelling as the chance to see some sun, which is far from guaranteed in their homeland, while the French are more likely to rent apartments rather than stay in hotels.

German tourists, who are also very fond of the Balearic Islands, tend to return to destinations they have visited and enjoyed, which is in stark contrast to their Dutch neighbors who enjoy new destinations with 71 percent saying they would never visit the same place twice.

Italians are also keen on trying different destinations, while Swedes, 97 percent of whom take a summer holiday abroad, are similar to the Germans in that they too like to return to places they have enjoyed.

And the fact Spain is such a popular destination is highlighted by the habits of Spaniards themselves. The study showed that one in 10 Spaniards have never had a holiday in any country other than their own. Endit