Spain surpasses 85 million international tourists and beats its historical record

05-02-24

• The main countries of origin of visitors to Spain have been the United Kingdom, France and Germany.

According to the most recent information provided by the National Statistics Institute (INE), tourism spending in Spain over the last year has experienced a significant increase, standing 24.7% above that recorded in 2022 and 18.2% more than the pre-pandemic year of 2019, bringing the total to 108,662 million euros.

The year 2023 has marked a milestone for tourism in Spain, surpassing for the first time the figure of 85 million international tourists since the beginning of statistical records. This increase represents an 18.7% increase compared to 2022 and 1.9% more than in 2019, the baseline year before the pandemic. In addition, the country has set a new record in tourist spending, reaching 108.6 million euros, reflecting an increase of 24.7% compared to 2022 and 18.2% compared to 2019, according to INE data.

Average spending per tourist and daily expenditure, both indicators of higher quality tourism, have also shown encouraging figures in 2023. Each visitor spent an average of €1,278, 5.1% more than the previous year and 16.1% more than in 2019. Daily spending has increased to €175, which is 8% more than in 2022 and 13.1% more than in 2019. Likewise, the average length of stay has grown to 7.3 days, surpassing 2019's average of 7.1 days.

The Minister of Industry and Tourism, Jordi Hereu, stressed that these data exceed even previous expectations, demonstrating that thanks to government policies, the Spanish tourism industry is moving towards greater quality, sustainability and deseasonalization.

In 2023, the main outbound markets to Spain have experienced remarkable growth. The United Kingdom continues to lead, with 17.3 million tourists, an increase of 14.6% over 2022. British tourists have spent more than 19 billion euros, 16.3% more than the previous year. France and Germany have also shown significant increases in both the number of visitors and tourist spending, with a notable growth in tourists from the United States and Switzerland, with high purchasing power profiles that contribute significantly to the increase in tourist spending.

Among the most visited autonomous communities, Catalonia leads with more than 18 million tourists, followed by the Balearic Islands, the Canary Islands, the Valencian Community and Madrid, the latter having experienced the highest year-on-year growth in 2023.

In terms of spending by communities, Catalonia and the Canary Islands top the list, with figures exceeding 20 billion euros, closely followed by the Balearic Islands and Andalusia.

Finally, December 2023 closed with 5.2 million international tourists and a total expenditure of 7,093 million euros, evidencing an increase of 26.2% in the number of visitors and 35.4% in expenditure compared to the same month of the previous year.