<h6><strong>The Diplomat</strong></h6> <h4><strong>The Constitution and Immaculate Bridge reached historic figures for international tourism in Madrid for those dates. Furthermore, the arrival of Spanish and foreign visitors generated an estimated total expenditure of 365 million euros in the capital, a figure that represents a decrease of 10% compared to the week before the long weekend, but an increase of 13.1% compared to to the previous year.</strong></h4> This is stated in <strong>the report prepared by the General Directorate of Economy of the Madrid City Council</strong> based on information on bank transactions. During the week of the long weekend, from December 4 to 10, the average ticket amounted to 26.4 euros, following a similar line to that of the week before it,<em> Europa Press reports.</em> However, <strong>compared to last year, the average ticket was 3.1% lower. Regarding the consumption carried out both the week of the long weekend and the previous one, it was similar</strong>, with an increase in spending on Friday and Saturday and a decrease on Sunday, except in the week of the long weekend, in which spending also decreased on Wednesday due to the holiday. While in Madrid on the days of the long weekend there was a large influx of tourists, the people of Madrid left the capital, which was reflected in consumption, increasing the spending of visitors from the rest of Spain by 6.5% to the detriment of consumption of Madrid residents that fell by 13.6% in the capital. Regarding spending by foreigners, it also decreased by 19.3%. <strong>However, compared to the previous year, there was an increase in spending, with that of nationals increasing by 30.8%, and that of foreigners by 31.2%.</strong> In the week before the long weekend, tourists from both national and foreign origin had the greatest weight of spending with 27.9% and 30.5%, respectively. If compared to the same week in 2022, a slight increase in the proportion of joint spending by nationals and foreigners is observed, going from 26.4% to 30.5%. <h5><strong>Accommodation, restaurants and fashion</strong></h5> Compared to the previous week, spending during the holidays was reduced<strong> in almost all categories except those related to the tourism sector such as accommodation (8.6%), restaurants (2.9%) and fashion, footwear and accessories ( 2.6%)</strong>. The largest decreases occurred in health services (-39.6%), personal care (-34.4%) and automotive (-46.3%), as these are services more related to residents and not tourism. Compared to the previous year's long weekend, spending grew in almost all categories, with the increase being more considerable in relation to tourist consumption such as tourist accommodation (25.7%), restaurants (14.7%), transportation (61 .9%) and leisure, shows and culture (24.6%). Regarding the average ticket, its drop in almost all categories is notable, except for those most directly related to tourism, with an increase in accommodation (21%), restaurants (14.3%) and transportation (7.3%). . Likewise, compared to the previous year, the ticket with the greatest increase occurred in transportation (20.9%) and tourist accommodation (11.4%). <h5><strong>International tourism figures</strong></h5> The vice mayor and spokesperson for the municipal government,<strong> Inma Sanz, highlighted yesterday the international tourism figures that were recorded on the Constitution Bridge, where "historic" numbers of visitors were concentrated. "It has been an extraordinary bridge.</strong> The pre-pandemic figures have been recovered, 365 million euros, 13% more in terms of spending than in the same week of the previous year. It was not necessary to wait for the study to know that it had been a historic bridge in that sense, but now the figures also confirm it," she said in statements to journalists from Ifema Madrid, after the study carried out by the City Council based on data from credit card transactions. <strong>Sanz believes that the bridge is establishing itself as the time in which the most national tourists come to Madrid, but with an increase in international visitors as well</strong>. "Those were times when international tourists did not come to Madrid as much, but now they are coming at all times of the year," she said. She also stressed that Madrid residents, although many take the opportunity to travel to other regions of Spain, are also "more those who stay" in the city. "These are very relevant figures. They have to do above all with expenses related to leisure, shopping, cultural activities and, therefore, it once again reflects that Madrid is a fashionable city," highlighted the vice mayor.
