However, a new report from the Spanish Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Tourism's Institute of Tourism Statistics (Instituto de Estudios Turísticos del Ministerio de Industria, Comercio, y Turismo) suggests that it's not all doom and gloom, especially in the province of Murcia.
In the first 4 months of 2008 (January to April) total spend by international tourists in Murcia increased by 16% when compared to 2007, taking spending to a total of €166 million. When compared to a national increase of just 6.2% over the same period, this is clearly significant.
This increased tourist spend in Murcia supports the growth in passengers numbers witnessed by San Javier Airport which saw 2,002,949 passengers pass through the provincial airport in 2007, an increase of almost 22% on 2006 figures of 1,646,129 passengers.
Mike Hamilton, Director of Murcia based developer, Casas de Lorca, comments, "I have lived in Murcia for over 6 years and over that time I have seen a steady growth in tourist numbers and spending in the province. Much of the negative publicity about Spain has been generated by issues in areas to the south (Costa del Sol) and to the north (Valencia) of Murcia and has subsequently affected these markets however Murcia remains popular with British holiday makers and buyers."