Brits Remain Spain's Most Important Tourists With Forecasts For A Record-Breaking Year
Spain News
Published: 03 November 2023 16:29 CET
Spain's tourism sector is on course to shatter all previous records, having generated over €84 billion in revenue this year, with British tourists once again dominating the international market. From January to September, more than 66.5 million visitors indulged in Spanish holidays, marking an impressive year-on-year surge of 18.8%.
Tourist spending increases
Collectively, tourists have expended €84.6 billion, indicating a remarkable 24% growth compared to the previous year, 2022. The National Statistics Institute (NIE) shared these figures, revealing that the number of arrivals is now merely 0.6% below the pre-pandemic levels witnessed in 2019.
Spain's Minister of Tourism, Hector Gomez, expressed his satisfaction with these numbers and revealed ongoing studies regarding the environmental impact of tourism. Industry leaders are keen to foster a more sustainable approach to tourism, spurred by various anti-tourism movements across the country this summer.
Brits remain Spain's most important tourist market
Recent data reveals that, despite a cost-of-living crisis back in the UK, British tourists continue to flock to Spain, with almost 13.8 million visitors this year, reflecting a substantial 14.6% increase from the previous year. In a distant second place are French tourists, numbering 9.4 million (an 18% increase), followed by German tourists at 8.4 million (a 9.6% increase).
The British contingent also played a pivotal role in Spain's overall tourist spending, contributing 18.7% of the total between January and September. Germany secured the second position with 11.9% of tourism spending, while France followed closely with 9.3%.
Most popular Spanish regions
The most sought-after regions for tourists remained consistent, with Catalonia, home to Barcelona, attracting 14.2 million visitors, a noteworthy year-on-year surge of 22.2%. The Balearic Islands followed closely with just under 12.6 million tourists in the first nine months of 2023, marking an 8.6% increase, while the Canary Islands welcomed just under 10 million holidaymakers (a 14.1% increase from 2022).
Source
https://ine.es/daco/daco42/frontur/frontur0923.pdf
https://www.theolivepress.es/spain-news/2023/11/02/brits-spain-tourism-figures/
