Tourism has been one of the industries hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic. According to the national statistics authority of Spain, just 2.5 million international tourists visited the country in July, a 75% drop from last year which saw almost 10 million visitors. That followed the lockdown months of March, April, May and June, where in April and May there were no tourists at all.
There were hopes of saving the summer season as European countries managed to get their coronavirus numbers down through lockdowns and restrictive measures, with Spain enforcing one of the strictest lockdowns in the world in March. However, countries such as the UK and Germany, which contribute significant proportions of Spain’s usual tourist revenue, imposed quarantine measures for arrivals from Spain, making it impossible for most to take a holiday.
Competa has not been immune from the impacts across the country. Its popularity with tourists and European ex-pats has seen the same dramatic fall in visitor numbers throughout the year. The majority of businesses have remained open when allowed by law, but staff numbers have been cut to reflect the lower numbers of customers.
The majority of business owners are just trying to get by in the hope that the 2021 summer season will be relatively normal – whatever that looks like.
