Especially striking is the rise of arrivals at the airport, which have increased more than 15% in general, and more than 18% in the arrival of foreign visitors.
During last year, tourism in València experienced a remarkable growth, as reflected by official figures: 3.9% more overnight stays (in the case of foreign visitors, the increase is 7.5%); and 2.8% more travellers (7.5% in the case of people arriving from other countries). But especially striking is the rise in the case of arrivals at the airport, which have increased more than 15% in general, and more than 18% in the arrival of holidaymakers.
Councillor Sandra Gómez highlighted the improvements in lower season, which improved profitability and international development, one of the main objectives of the València 2020 Strategic Tourism Plan. The so-called low season consists of balancing the presence of visitors in the city throughout the year, so that the economic impact is sustained and more effective. In this case, it is worth highlighting the notable increases in tourist arrivals recorded in the months with the least traditional presence, which have reached increases of up to 40%, for example in January 2018.
As for the international projection of València as a tourist destination, the results are also very positive, with a notable increase in overnight stays by foreigners: from 58% in 2015 to 65% in 2018. This is explained by the effort aimed at increasing the number of airport travel places, and by the commitment to connectivity with the main European hubs (airport links).
In fact, during the period 2015-2018 the number of connecting places with hubs has increased by more than 70%, going from 760,000 to 1,300,000 (with centres such as Zürich, Paris CDG, Frankfurt, Istanbul, Rome, Lisbon, Madrid, Munich, Amsterdam, Moscow, Barcelona and Heathrow).
