In certain areas like supermarket food cost and real estate in some areas, insurance and medical care, Spain can be reasonable. But in other areas like taxes and fees for small businesses hold on to your hat. Same for high season in Spain’s most popular areas like Madrid, Seville, Granada’s Alhambra, Cordoba, Mallorca and Barcelona. Premium, private tours in España can be expensive but worthwhile if you are truly dealing with the top guides and support staff. Below I’ll detail more about why Spain is expensive for luxury vacations, custom tours and private travel in 2022 and beyond. (BTW, if you have any serious questions about Spain travel we have answers, just contact us with your questions or thoughts and we’ll get back to you typically in 1 business day).
1) So in world tourism stats Spain is typically in the top 2 or 3 in the world with France, Italy & USA.
Please look closely at the 2 charts below to see which countries are world leaders in both tourism visitors & tourism income… You guesed it Spain. Now can you see why private tour & travel services are in demand and somewhat expensive?
source => https://www.e-unwto.org/doi/pdf/10.18111/9789284421152
2) Next, we have the law of supply and demand with top licensed local guides. Let’s explore more how this impacts if Spain is expensive for premium tourism, private travel and luxury vacations?
Tour guide licenses are limited in each location in number + involve a competitive & convoluted exam process.
For example, there is a license to be a tour guide for the city of Madrid. But it’s only for Madrid. The local guides sometimes “guard their own turf” and may call the police if an outsider is guiding or they confront the “intruso” and insult them. Don’t worry you’ll have no problems on our private, guided tours and custom trips in 2022.
So in 2022, to work as a professional guide in Toledo or Barcelona or Valencia means one must have that local license.
Barcelona is even more complex where the guide must also speak the regional language and they are taught nationalist, regional version of Catalan regional history. If you want to have some fun, maybe ask the guide if Barcelona & Catlunya (the region) has been exploited by Madrid & Spain =)
The top tour guide professionals often speak 3 to 5 languages. They will have the head, heart & communication skills to excell. So they can and do charge high rates.
In fact some top guides, in a non-pandemic year, can earn more than an average attorney here with more days off too (in winter). Of course there are lots of mediocre guides who don’t not have all 3 of what we look for, head, heart & communication skills.They will get work when things get really busy.
So now can you see why Spain can be expensive for premium tourism, private Spain travel and luxury Spain vacations?