Spain: Over 20,000 Swimming Pools in 2009 Alone

According to a study commissioned by Salón Piscina Barcelona and information supplied by the trade organizations ASOFAP (Spanish Association for the Manufacture of Equipment, Chemical Products and Swimming Pool Designers) and ATEP (Spanish Association for the Swimming Pool Industry, Technology and Sporting Facilities), 20,000 to 25,000 swimming pools will be built in Spain in 2009 (including private pools).  Some 500,000 pools, or almost half of the total existing swimming pools in Spain, are over 10 years old.
In contrast to the general trend in the midst of the economic crisis, the trade organizations assert that the swimming pool industry in Spain is enjoying dynamic development and has successfully established itself on the Spanish market.  The branch boasts a total annual business volume of over 1.3 million Euros consists of over 2,000 companies and employs some 12,500 persons directly, along with another 50,000 indirectly. (eap)