The pie charts illustrate the age composition of UK travellers to Spain in two separate years: 1983 and 2003 over two decades.
Overall, Spain welcomed a higher share of tourists from the younger and the older over the years, while those aged 25 to 34 and 35 to 54 witnessed a reverse pattern. Additionally, visitors from 34 to 54 years old accounted for the largest percentage in both years, whereas the over-55-years-old group only took the lion’s share in 2003. This data indicates that most of the holidaymakers who used four types of accommodation were aged 35-54 or over 55, possibly due to greater financial stability, more free time, and a preference for comfort and variety.
Regarding the groups that increased, in 1983, UK tourists aged 55 and over in Spain accounted for 16% of the total, which was slightly higher than the 10% represented by children and 4% of the teenagers. Subsequently, the former rose sharply to 26% two decades later, while the latter only climbed minimally to 12%, widening the gap between the two groups. Similarly, with regard to the young people, the young adults aged 16 to 24 represented the smallest, making up only 4% in 1983, then climbed to 15% by 2003, marking the largest growth. The reference scales suggest that younger people often have limited budgets, less travel experience, and fewer opportunities to organise diverse types of trips on their own.
Concerning the two remaining age cohorts which are documented to decrease. Precisely half of the British tourists in Spain in 1983 belonged to the 35 to 54 bracket; however, just over a third of this demographic made up the visitors to Spain in 2003. Finally, the share of travellers aged 25 to 34 nearly halved from 20% over the surveyed period. According to the reference scale, a high proportion of holidaymakers aged 35-54 although underwent a decrease but still remained the highest, possibly because they are financially stable, have more travel experience, and are more likely to organise trips that involve varied forms of lodging.