Key Takeaways

• Men's swimwear preferences are primarily driven by comfort, better material quality, and cost-effectiveness.
• Over time men have become more conscious about their look and are therefore more inclined towards fashionable apparel in swimwear and beachwear.
• The U.K makes up the largest portion of visitors to Ibiza, with other significant source destinations (apart from Spain itself) being Italy, Germany, and the Netherlands.
• Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, visitors to the Balearic Islands, of which Ibiza is a a part, dropped by 87%.

Introduction

Demographic Profile of a Men's Swimwear Buyer/Consumer

Age

• A report by Mintel noted that men aged 35-44 are the most likely (33%) to buy sportswear.”
• A 2013 survey in Germany found that those aged 40-49 make up the largest market for swim trunks with 19% preferring tight boxer swim trunks and 19% prefeering slip swim trunks.
• For those aged 14-39, 11% preferred tight boxer swim trunks while 2% preferred slip swim trunks; and for those aged 50 and over 15% preferred tight boxer swim trunks while 16% preferred slip swim trunks.
• The NPD Group is quoted as noting that since 2015, Target has been the main retailer for men’s and women’s swimwear in the U.S., above both mass and speciality retailers.
• By age, Target’s primary focus is the 25-44 age group, and an assumption can be made that this is also the primary swimwear shopper at the retailer.

Income and Education Levels

• Overall, swimwear shoppers are in the middle to upper income bracket and have high levels of education based the fact that:
• Specialty apparel stores, such as those selling sporting goods, are said to mainly target middle to upper income populations "and those with above-average white-collar employment levels."
• Additionally, consumers with high levels of educational attainment tend to have a preference for shopping at "smaller, non-chain specialty retail stores.”
• The mid-price swimwear segment makes up half of the men’s swimwear market, while the premium price segment is about a third of the mid-price segment by size

Other Considerations

• Categories of swimwear consumers:
•  Luxury consumer who is looking for extremely fashionable, luxurious swimwear at a very high retail price.
•  Athlete who is looking for high-performance and functional sportswear.
•  Fashion-conscious consumer who is looking for fashion-conscious swimwear. This consumer is mainly female as men do “not mind wearing the same swimwear for several seasons.”
•  Practical consumer who is looking for swimwear that is comfortable and easy-care,and is affordable.
•  Price-conscious consumer who is looking for basic designs and expects good-quality materials at “(very) low retail prices.”

• When buying swimwear men opt for “function first but with an increasing emphasis on aesthetics.”

Demographic Profile of Visitors/Tourists to Ibiza

Gender

• From the latest available tourist profile provided by the Statistical Institute of the Balearic Islands (IBESTAT), 47.3%of visitors to Ibiza are men.

Age

• The breakdown of tourists to Ibiza by age from the latest available data is:
• Less than 25: 19.1% 
• 25-44: 41.2% 
• 45-64: 31.7% 
• 64 and above: 8% 
• More middle aged holidaymakers make up the larger share of visitors to Ibiza, as those who enjoyed the destination in their twenties keep on returning as they move into their thirties .

Income/Spending Power

• The total daily expenditure per tourist in Ibiza is €163. 
• The visitors to Ibiza are in the upper income level and they expect “VIP clubbing experiences, designer hotels and wellness activities.”

Ethnicity/Nationalities

• In 2019, the distribution of tourists based on the top source destinations was:
• U.K.: 26.6% 
• Spain: 20.2% 
• Italy: 12.8% 
• Benelux: 10.9% 
• Germany: 9% 

Other Considerations

• Family holidays have risen over time as “Ibiza’s regulars move into the next phase of life.”
•  93.6% of tourists to Ibiza visit the island for leisure and holidays

Factors Driving the Growth in the Global Men's Swimwear Market

• Over time men have become more conscious about their look in swimwear and beachwear and they are willing to spend money on grooming and lifestyle. For example, currently in the U.K., Mintel notes that "branded sportswear continues to dominate, particularly among men,” with “32% of consumers buying sports fashion to wear at home rather than while doing sport or exercise."
• This has led to brands investing more in product innovation, product advancements, and use of new technologies. An example is the increasing demand for transitional shorts, which are becoming a favourite for men, as the shorts are “perfectly suited for both swimwear and casual wear.” Due to such new trends, there is an additional swimwear consumer demographic of affluent professionals, which contributes to the rise in growth of the market.
• Also, such trends have also led to the growth of new breed brands to service the new demographics and their needs; as well as
•  new industry partnerships that are aimed at growing the selection of men’s swimwear. For example, in 2017, Stella McCartney and ISA SpA partnered to enhance their portfolio of men’s swimwear collection and related products.

• Participation in such physical activities as swimming and other water sports is considered to be beneficial for a healthy lifestyle and leisure, and such participation by men continues to rise over time.
• For example, in the U.K., participation in adventure and watersports among men rose from 7.2% in 2016 to 9.7% in 2019. Overall, an annual survey in the U.K. conducted from 2005 to 2018, found that “tendencies towards water sports increased gradually from a quarter of the population in 2005 to 31.8% in 2018." with the most popular activities were found to be “spending leisure time at the beach, coastal walking, swimming and recreational boating.”
• In the U.S., men’s participation in sports and exercise rose from 16.5% of the male population in 2003 to 21.4% of the population in 2015. Additonally, according to the Outdoor Industry Association, men participate more in outdoor activities as compared to women at 53.8% of outdoor participants in the U.S. in 2019.

• A rising rate of family vacations to resorts, islands, and near the beach. In a 2019 survey, beach vacations were found to be the most popular vacation trip for families with 57% of the respondents having taken a beach vacation in the past and 61% of them planning to take one in the next two years. Also, pool and indoor/outdoor water park activities are among the top five activities and attractions that children are interested in while on vacation.
• A rising number of luxury swimming clubs and spas for men, specifically in developed countries. According to the International Spa Association (ISPA) Foundation “49% of American spa visitors are now men, up from about 29% in 2005.”

Insights on Visitors/Tourists to Ibiza

• From information provided by the Statistical Institute of the Balearic Islands, each year, the island attracts over 3 million visitors. Annual passenger arrivals have grown from 3.22 million in 2015 to 4.06 million in 2019.
• Ibiza largely depends on visitors from the U.K. as the island has been a “traditional British holiday destination for decades," with the top five source destination countries (including Spain) for visitors to Ibiza include Spain, the U.K, Italy, Germany, and the Netherlands.
• Visitors from Spain between 2015 and 2019 were: 1.3 million in 2015, 1.39 million in 2016, 1.49 million in 2017, 1.63 million in 2018, and 1.67 million in 2019.
• Visitors from the U.K. between 2015 and 2019 were: 0.81 million in 2015, 0.92 million in 2016, 1 million in 2017, .0.98 million in 2018, and 0.96 million in 2019.
• Visitors from Italy between 2015 and 2019 were: 0.35 million in 2015, 0.43 million in 2016, 0.45 million in 2017, 0.45 million in 2018, 0.43 million in 2019.
• Visitors from Germany between 2015 and 2019 were: 0.29 million in 2015, 0.34 million in 2016, 0.33 million in 2017, 0.32 million in 2018, and 0.32 million in 2019.
• Visitors from the Netherlands between 2015 and 2019 were: 0.16 million in 2015, 0.26 million in 2016, 0. 0.28 million in 2017, 0.29 million in 2018, and 0.28 million in 2019.

• The occupancy rates in available hotel beds is highest in the summer months, with a peak in August. The winter months have lowest occupancy.
• The COVID-19 pandemic greatly affected tourism in Ibiza. According to the National Statistics Institute, visitors to the Balearic Islands, of which Ibiza is a a part, dropped by 87% in 2020 from 13.6 million in 2019 to 1.7 million in 2020. There has especially been a “dramatic decrease” in British tourists who make up the larger portion of foreign visitors to Ibiza. Only 223,000 travelers from the U.K. visited the Balearic Islands in 2020, compared to 3.7 million in 2019 representing a fall of 93%. On the other hand, visitors from Germany decreased by 84%. 
• According to Spain’s tourism minister, Ibiza, as the rest of Spain, is expected to reopen safely in June. Visitors will be expected to have the COVID-19 passports (Digital Green Certificates) developed by the Spanish government so as to "enter the country without coronavirus testing or quarantine. 
• The island, plans to welcome half the number of tourists as there were in 2019, this June.

Research Strategy