Christmas Day for some is one of reflection, if you are nor drunk or have heart burn and for the over 55s, who are in the prime of their lives despite what some people might think, Spain has been named as the favourite holiday spot for British travellers aged 55 and over, according to new research.
The study found that older UK holidaymakers made a 6.2 million trips to Spain in 2024, spending £5.27million along the way.
That makes Spain the clear winner for both visitor numbers and economic impact among this age group. Short, affordable flights, year-round sun in some areas, and a relaxed pace of life that suits longer getaways all play a part in the appeal. Walkable towns and solid public transport also make getting around a breeze for older couples.
And, this time of year is the one of the most popular times for overseas travel, particularly for those with young families taking advantage of the two week break and spending quality family time together with someone else doing the cooking. Holidaymakers are looking for winter sun or a traditional snowy Christmas. ABTA members are reporting strong sales for mainland Spain, the Canary Islands, Portugal and Turkey. Other popular winter sun destinations include Palma, Dubai and Sharm El Sheik.
And rcently, the president of the Balearics, Marga Prohens, welcomed the fact that tourism is growing ‘like never before’ during the mid and low season months in the Balearics. She said that this is a ‘change in trend’ brought about by the commitment to cultural and sports tourism, which is allowing the “peaks” in tourist numbers to be ‘shifted from the high season to other months’.
‘We are focusing on culture, we want it to be an attraction for those who visit us beyond the summer months. This strategy is working. Containment in summer, with growth below 1%, and growing like never before in the mid and low season months.
‘We want to lead the transformation of tourism throughout Europe, to be a region that is seen as a success story in sustainability and regenerative tourism. We are, perhaps, the first example of an economy that wants to move forward not from recession or crisis but from success, from a model that generates wealth and employment,’ she said.