Thursday. 28.03.2024

Spain was visited by more than 8.8 million international tourists in August, 87% of those who arrived in the same month of 2019.

These travellers spent a total of €11.26 billion on their journeys and stays, representing 96% of the August 2019 figures.

With accumulated data for the first eight months of the year, international tourist arrivals in Spain exceeded 48 million (83% of the same period pre-pandemic) and spending reached €63.9 billion (92% of 2019).

In August, the average spending per person was €1,276 (€119 more than in August 2019) and the average stay was 7.9 days, the same as August 2019.

"The expectations we had of recovering nine out of ten pre-pandemic international tourists in the central months of the summer, July and August, have been fulfilled. Spain has experienced an extraordinarily high tourist season and, for the moment, we are facing the autumn without inflation and the uncertainty caused by the war hindering this tourist reactivation. The recovery of 93% of the seats scheduled by airlines to fly to our country during the month of October is an example of this," said the Minister for Industry, Trade and Tourism, Reyes Maroto.

Source markets

By country, the UK was the main source market, with 1.8 million tourists, followed by France with 1.6 million and Germany with 1.1 million. Among the other countries of residence, the annual growth of tourists from Ireland (106.7%), Italy (106.4%) and the US (96.8%) stand out.

By region of main destination, the Balearic Islands was the first main destination for tourists in August, with 24.8% of the total. In second and third places were Catalonia (21.4%) and Andalusia (14.6%).

Nearly 2.2 million tourists arrived in the Balearic Islands (97% of those who arrived in August 2019), mainly from Germany and the UK. The number of tourists visiting Catalonia was close to 1.9 million (80% of the figure for August 2019), mostly from France and other European countries. The third main destination community by number of tourists was Andalusia, with almost 1.3 million (92% of the August 2019 figure) and with the UK and France as the main source markets.

In the first eight months of the year, the regions that have received the most tourists are Catalonia, with almost 9.9 million, the Balearic Islands, with 9.6 million, and the Canary Islands, with more than 7.8 million.

Spending by foreign tourists in Spain close to pre-pandemic level