Spain manages to surpass for the first time the record figures for international tourist arrivals recorded before the pandemic. Between January and October, a total of 74.7 million tourists came to the country, a figure finally above the levels of 2019 covid (0.2% more, compared to 74.5 million four years ago) and that shoots up by 18.2% the accumulated of the same period last year, according to data from the National Statistics Institute (INE).

From the tourism sector, it is anticipated that in the year as a whole, foreign tourist arrivals will exceed or at least tie with the historical maximum reached before the pandemic, with 83.7 million international travelers in 2019. Last year Spanish tourism already started a strong revival after the total collapse caused by the restrictions on mobility to combat the pandemic. In 2022 foreign traveler arrivals reached 71.5 million, recovering 85% of pre-pandemic levels, and catapulting by 130% the figures of just 31 million tourists in 2021.

"We are transforming the historical nature of our tourism: Spain continues to be a leader, the recovery of the sector is absolute and full, but we are diversifying and deseasonalizing flows, which reverts to a more sustainable tourism and less dependent on the high summer season," stressed the new Minister of Industry and Tourism, Jordi Hereu. In fact, in October - a month outside the traditional summer high season - 8.17 million international tourists arrived in Spain, 13.9% more than in October 2022 and 7.8% more than in October 2019 precovid.

Boom in tourist arrivals already injects Spain with 66 billion in a record year

The main issuing countries in the first ten months of 2023 were the United Kingdom (with nearly 15.5 million tourists and an annual increase of 14.3%), France (nearly 10.4 million and up 17.0%) and Germany (with more than 9.6 million, up 9.4%). In terms of major destinations, Catalonia has been the most visited community so far this year, with 15.8 million travelers and 21.1% more; ahead of the Balearic Islands (14 million and 8.7% more); the Canary Islands (11.2 million travelers and 13.2 more); and Andalusia (18 million visitors and 22.2% more).

Record spending

Tourists who came to Spain spent 94,916 million euros between January and October, a new record after exceeding last year's data by 25% and surpassing pre-pandemic records by 16%, according to INE data. A soaring figure of spending by tourists driven by the boom in arrivals and also by the rise in prices on which the sector has embarked.

The average expenditure per traveler and the average stay, two data that also illustrate a higher quality tourism in our country, also offer important figures. Each tourist spent an average of €1,260 in October, 9.8% more than last year and 14.9% more than in 2019. Spending per day also reflects this growth, reaching 185 euros, 15% more than in 2019 and 10.6% year-on-year.

The National Statistics Institute prepares the Egatur tourism expenditure survey, while the Bank of Spain calculates through the balance of payments the country's tourism revenue volume. Between both data, the income of one and the expenditure of the other, there is always a gap of millions of dollars. The INE survey computes all the expenditure made by travelers, not only that actually made in Spain and which has a direct impact on our economy, but also includes the costs of transport that can be made with a foreign airline. In the case of the balance of payments, transportation costs are not included.

According to the latest balance of payments data published by the Bank of Spain, corresponding to the end of September, the country accumulated income from tourism - what international travelers spend during their stay and which effectively has an impact on the Spanish economy - of 66,000 million euros in the first nine months of the year, 22% more than in the same period last year (54,100 million) and also 15.6% more than in 2019 precovid (57,100 million). INE's Egatur data for September show that cumulative spending for those nine months was 84,608 million euros.