For over 50 years, Spain has been by far the most popular tourist destination for British holidaymakers. Ever since the early days of package holidays, millions of British tourists have flown over to Spain to the warm climate and stunning beaches every year. Indeed according to official statistics, just under 14 million British visitors visited Spain in 2002, with over 90% of these visiting leisure purposes. As with so many large property markets, the demand for property in Spain is predominantly driven by the country's hugely successful tourism industry.

Despite the more challenging economic climate of the past two years, Spain is still the number one tourist destination for visitors from the UK. Understandably this translates into a considerable demand for property in Spain, and today more people are attracted to the country than any other overseas property market. On top of the tourist driven demand for property in Spain, it should also be noted that there are a huge number of British expatriates living and working in Spain today. Larger than any other expatriate community in Spain, these also represents a large portion of the demand for property in Spain, particularly in the more popular tourist destinations along the southern coast.

So why is it that the Brits love Spain, and is this love affair, which has lasted over 50 years, said to continue for the foreseeable future?

Just a short visit to Spain will show any visitor why it is so easy to fall in love with this stunning country. With its stunningly beautiful scenery, warm, year round climate and incredible food, the appeal is there for all tastes and budgets. Having genuinely captured the imagination of the British tourist industry so many years ago, it is easy to see why so many people choose to visit Spain year after year before making it their permanent home.

On top of things, there is today an increasing number of cheap flights to Spain on a daily basis from a large number of airports throughout the UK. Airlines such as EasyJet, Ryanair and Flybe, offer a huge number of flights, many of which are less than a national train journey in the UK. This increased accessibility has led understandably to a large increase in demand for property in Spain, as people began to see the country as a viable option for long weekend breaks rather than simply once a year holidays.

With an average of over 300 days sunshine every year, Spain offers a year round option for people wishing to escape the hustle and bustle of everyday life in the UK. This, coupled with the slow pace of life, and relatively low cost of living in Spain, has seen many people attracted to this part of the Iberian peninsula.  

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