The Diplomat
The number of international tourists in Spain increased by 13.9% in August over the previous year and rose by 19.6% in the first eight months of the year compared to the same period in 2022, according to data released yesterday by the National Statistics Institute (INE).
Specifically, the data reveal that Spain received 10.1 million international tourists last August, 13.9% more than in August 2022, and that tourist spending in the same month amounted to 13,529 million euros, representing a growth of 19.9% over last year.
Furthermore, in the first eight months of the year, Spain received 57.7 million arrivals, which represents a growth of 19.6% over the same period last year. In these eight months of 2023, total spending was 73,393 million euros, 24.3% more than in the same period last year and 14.9% above 2019, before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
“We close an extraordinary summer with data that confirm the full recovery of a sector that is not only the main engine of our economy, but a powerful industry that generates more and more employment and of higher quality; also wealth that permeates both society and the territories,” said the acting Minister of Industry, Trade and Tourism, Hector Gómez. “The magnificent figures of tourist arrivals from the United States and Switzerland, markets with great purchasing power whose nationals seek differentiating experiences in an increasingly competitive and innovative ecosystem, where Spain is a world leader,” added
Average spending per tourist in August stood at 1,343 euros, an annual increase of 5.3%. In addition, the average daily expenditure also increased by 6.7% compared to a year ago, to 173 euros. The average duration of trips by international tourists was 7.7 days, a figure similar to that of August 2022. The majority length of stay among tourists in August was between four and seven nights, with more than 4.6 million in this range and an annual increase of 13.9%.
The United Kingdom was the leading tourist-sending country in August, with two million tourists, representing 20.1% of the total and a 10% increase over August 2022. It was followed by France (1.9 million, up 17.9% in annual rate) and Germany (1.2 million, up 5.8%). Among the other countries of residence, the strong year-on-year growth of tourists from the United States (29.5% more than last August), Switzerland (24.1%) and Ireland (22.4% growth) stands out. So far in 2023, 2.5 million Americans and 1.3 million Swiss tourists have arrived. Tourists arriving from the rest of the Americas -excluding the US- have also experienced significant growth, up 40.9% year-on-year, and from the rest of the world, up 29.9%.
In terms of their level of spending in July, the main countries were the United Kingdom (with 18.5% of total spending), France (9.6%) and Germany (11.6%). Spending by tourists residing in the United Kingdom increased by 15% in annual rate, that of those from France by 22.6% and that of those from Germany by 9.8%.
In the accumulated of the first eight months of 2023, the communities that receive more tourists are Catalonia (with almost 12.3 million and an increase of 24.1% over the same period of 2022), Balearic Islands (with almost 10.5 million and an increase of 8.6%) and Canary Islands (with more than 8.9 million, up 14.5%).
In August alone, the Balearic Islands was the main destination for tourists, with 23.3% of the total. It was followed by Catalonia (21.1%) and Andalusia (14.3%). The Balearic Islands received 2.3 million tourists, 7.3% more than in August 2022. The main countries of residence of tourists from this community are the United Kingdom (26.3% of the total) and Germany (also 25.2%). The number of tourists who visited Catalonia in August increased by 11.7% and exceeded 2.1 million. France accounted for 26.5% and the United Kingdom for 12.3%. The third main destination community by number of tourists was Andalusia, with more than 1.4 million and an annual increase of 11.2%. The United Kingdom was the main country of origin (with 20.8% of the total), followed by France (with 14%). In the other communities, the number of tourists increased by 39.4% in the Community of Madrid, 19.7% in Valencia and 2.6% in the Canary Islands.
