The tourism industry continues to thrive in Spain, with recent figures predicting a significant increase in visitors to the country during 2008.

A report by industry association Exceltur forecasts a growth of 1.8 per cent in the number of people choosing Spain as a holiday destination this year, taking the total number of overseas arrivals to 60.7 million.

The healthy Spanish tourism market is currently sustained by two main trends, Homes Worldwide reports - the growing interest in “urban tourism” among holidaymakers and the enduring popularity of winter sunshine breaks in southern areas of Spain, particularly among British people.

According to the website, many people are now interested in short ‘city breaks’, which makes Spain’s cosmopolitan cities such as Sevilla and Valencia an appealing prospect, while others continue to head to the Costa del Sol and Costa Blanca for a more relaxing seaside holiday.

Travel Republic has reported a huge increase in bookings for Spanish holidays after Christmas, as the wet UK weather and increased availability of cheap flights draws more people to the Iberian peninsula.

Low-cost airline Ryanair recently launched a new service to Malaga from Bournemouth Airport.

Tags: , Costa del Sol, Malaga