As the recession in Spain joins forces with the global financial crisis, slashing tourism figures around the globe, Spain sees its number of travel agencies shrink in the hundreds.
Over the past twelve months, 980 travel agencies have closed shop around Spain, leaving the total number of travel agencies at 8,174, according to a report by Amadeus.
Travel Agents hardest hit in Catalonia and Andalucia
In terms of autonomous communities in Spain, Catalonia and Andalucia have been the areas worst affected. In Andalucia, a whopping 17 per cent of travel agencies have disconnected themselves from the travel system Amadeus, a total of 196.
In Catalonia a similar amount of travel agents shut down, 148 closed down, representing a 12.2 per cent reduction in this region.
Amadeus expects the trend to continue, especially after summer, which is the busiest time of the year for travel agents.
Online travel agencies such as eDreams, Rumbo and Lastminute.es have been less affected by the downturn, having focused strongly on competitive pricing. The three online travel agents are already in the top 10 agencies in Spain.
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