Source: AFP
Spain welcomed a record 21.8 million international visitors this summer, official figures showed on Wednesday, an influx of tourism that has sparked some protests in the country.
This figure was an increase of 7.3% in the summer of 2023, according to the national statistics institute (INE).
Spain, the world’s second most popular tourist destination after France, received 10.9 million visitors in July and another in August, INE said.
The economic impact from tourism is “a great success for Spain’s well-being, social cohesion and economic development,” Tourism Minister Jordi Hereu said at an event organized by tourism promotion organization Turespana in Tenerife, Canary Islands.
In a nod to people unhappy with excessive tourism, Hereu said Spain must “transform” its model for the sector, which needs to be diversified and decentralized.
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The flood of tourists has not pleased all Spaniards, with protesters making their feelings known in recent months, mainly in Barcelona, Malaga in Andalusia, the Balearic Islands and the Canary Islands.
Protesters protested pressure on infrastructure, pollution and noise pollution.
They were also angered by rising rental prices due to the short-term letting of many properties to tourists at lucrative prices.
Several regions have fought back, with Barcelona saying it will end renting apartments to tourists by 2029.
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s socialist government is working to create a registry of tourist and seasonal accommodations.
We’re heading for the annual record
The most common nationality of tourists to Spain this summer was British, with 4.17 million visitors to the UK.
It is followed by France (3.75 million), Germany (2.49 million) and Italy (1.35 million).
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There was also a 13 percent increase in US tourists to 850,000.
Spain hosted a total of 64.8 million tourists in the first eight months of the year — another record, according to INE.
The most popular destinations visited were Catalonia, the region that includes Barcelona, the Balearic Islands and the Canary Islands.
With more visitors came more money, and tourism receipts rose 17.6 percent over the eight-month period to 86.7 billion euros ($95.9 billion).
This amounts to 187 euros spent per tourist, per day.
According to Exceltur, an organization created by the heads of Spain’s major tourism groups, 90 million tourists are expected during 2024.
That would comfortably surpass the previous record of 85.1 million people last year.
Tourism revenue is expected to exceed €200 billion, which will increase the sector’s contribution to the Spanish economy to 13.2%, according to Exceltur.
Source: AFP
