Spain welcomed a total of 10.01 million visitors in July for the first time, according to data provided by the National Institute of Statistics (INE).
The same source noted that such a figure marked an increase of 11.4 per cent compared to the same period of 2022. Meanwhile, compared to 2019, the growth rate stands at 2.6 per cent.
In terms of spending on tourism, July of this year marked €13,853 million, an increase of 16.4 per cent compared to the same month of the previous year and an increase of 16 per cent compared to 2019.
Based on INE data, during the first seven months of this year, Spain welcomed 47.6 million arrivals, with an increase of 20.9 per cent compared to last year. At the same time, total spending by visitors reached €59,864 million, reflecting a growth of 25.3 per cent compared to the same period a year ago, and an even more increase of 14.7 per cent compared to 2019.
For the first time, we exceeded ten million travellers in July, accompanied by extraordinary levels of tourist spending which show the potential of Spain as a quality destination, attractive and sustainable for the world.
Further data from INE also show that in July 2023, the average expenditure per tourist in Spain reached €1,367, marking a significant annual increase of 4.4 per cent.
During the same period, the United Kingdom emerged as the main source country for tourists visiting Spain, with two million tourists, accounting for 20 per cent of total arrivals and reflecting an increase of seven per cent compared to July 2022.
France and Germany were the next main contributors to Spain’s tourism. France had 1.6 million tourists, an annual increase of 11 per cent, while Germany saw over one million visitors, representing an increase of 4.8 per cent.
Significant year-over-year growth in tourist arrivals was also seen from other countries of residence, including a 28.9 per cent increase from the United States, an 18.5 per cent increase from Portugal and a 17.8 per cent increase from Italy.
According to this data, for the first seven months of 2023, the regions in Spain that have attracted the most tourists are Catalonia, with nearly 10.2 million visitors and an increase of 27 per cent compared to last year.
Following closely, the Balearic Islands welcomed almost 8.1 million tourists, reflecting an increase of nine per cent, while the Canary Islands welcomed nearly 7.9 million visitors, showing a surge of 16.3 per cent.
The UK and Germany were the leading countries of residence for tourists visiting the Balearic Islands, accounting for 26.2 per cent and 25.1 per cent of the total, respectively. Catalonia also saw a 16.2 per cent increase in tourist arrivals in July, with over 2.3 million visitors, 21 per cent coming from France and 11.1 per cent from the UK.
Andalusia, the third most popular destination in July, welcomed more than 1.3 million tourists, representing an annual increase of 20.1 per cent. As the INE figures explain, the UK was the main country of origin, with 22.5 per cent of the total, followed by the Nordic countries with 12.4 per cent.
