POWERHOUSES OF SERVICE INDUSTRY IN EUROPE: THE CASE OF SPAIN

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Along with France, Spain is considered the European leader in the field of service economy because of record-breaking numbers of foreign tourists, logistic infrastracture of world class and developed net of sea ports that serve as vital intermediaries in the trade between Europe and Africa. The article deals with the statistics that justifies the tourist success of the country and tries to explain how it became so prosperous, while using its rather limited economic potential. The authors analyze the peculiarities of Spain whose territory consists of the mainland, the Balearic Islands and the Canary Islands, and also belongs to the list of world leaders by the number of UNESCO World heritage sites and the beaches under the ‘Blue Flag’. Since the country’s culture has absorbed the heritage of several eras and different peoples who lived in the Iberian Peninsula, it is interesting both for lovers of antiquity and historical architectural heritage and for admirers of modern cultural trends. The article underlines an exceptional contribution of aviation industry in the development of tourism, while simultaneously underscoring the importance of the developed net of bullet trains that belongs to the list of the largest in Europe, as well as the cooperation of this state with the European countries that are recognized as leaders in the field of aviation services. Such topics as the Spanish language educational establishments and famous festivals that allow a certain category of holidaymakers arranging their own leisure time are also highlighted. The authors believe that transit importance of Spain being at the crossroads between Morocco with its imperial towns, Andorra with its large duty-free zone and Portugal that is famous for its historic towns, windsurfing facilities and developed wine industry contributes even more to its resounding tourist success. In the final count, one should claim that sophisticated service industry plays an important role in the Spanish economy by reducing, at least in seasonal terms, the high level of unemployment that is the second-worst in the EU only after Greece. Its contribution is monetary terms is also among the largest in the world.