In the latest statistics published by the Spanish tourism office (Turespaña), it has been revealed that last month saw an increase in international air travel, with 5.9 million passengers arriving in the country. This figure marks a rise of 12.7 per cent compared to the same period in 2023.
According to the same source, European Union countries contributed significantly, accounting for 57.3 per cent of total arrivals and showing a strong growth of 13.1 per cent. Meanwhile, arrivals from other parts of the globe, which account for 42.7 per cent of the total, have also shown an increase of 12.3 per cent.
January begins with a strong upward trend since passengers issued to Spain from all the main issuing countries increased about the figures for the same month of 2023, except Portugal. The notable growth in Poland (77 per cent), Ireland (19.2 per cent), Italy (18.2 per cent) and the United States (17.5 per cent) in January stands out.
UK Dominates Spain’s January 2024 Arrival Statistics
In January 2024, the United Kingdom led the pack in international arrivals in Spain, contributing 1.1 million passengers and marking an 11.1 per cent increase on the previous year. In particular, the Canary Islands were the hotspot for British tourists, welcoming 42.7 per cent of them.
At the same time, 81.6 per cent of British travellers chose low-cost carriers, with the UK leading the way in this category, contributing 25.2 per cent of the total.
Meanwhile, Germany had 687,829 arrivals, an 11 per cent increase compared to January 2023, accounting for 11.6 per cent of the total. Further data by Turespaña shows that almost half of German passengers (49.8 per cent) preferred traditional airlines, with Germany leading this category, contributing 13.7 per cent of total arrivals.
As for Italy, it also contributed 10.7 per cent of January’s passenger flow, with 632,563 travellers, reflecting an 18.2 per cent year-on-year increase, particularly benefiting Catalonia and the Community of Madrid. Among Italian travellers, 78.9 per cent chose low-cost airlines, marking an increase of 21.4 per cent from last year.
France and the Netherlands are the last two countries to show an increase in January. As a result, France accounted for 7.3 per cent of total passengers, a rise of 1.6 per cent, favoring Madrid and Catalonia, which together received over 100,000 arrivals each, with 62.5 per cent of the total.
On the other hand, the Netherlands accounted for 4.8 per cent of all travellers, increasing by 11.7 per cent in January. Catalonia and the Community of Valencia were the main destinations, capturing 42 per cent of arrivals. Most Dutch travellers also preferred low-cost carriers for their flights.
As Turespaña data points out, the airports that received the most arrivals in January are as follows:
- Adolfo Suarez Madrid-Barajas Airport (1.7 million passengers)
- Barcelona (1.2 million)
- Tenerife South (540,000)
During the same month, Andalusia and Comunitat Valenciana saw remarkable year-on-year growth of 21.3 per cent and 18.5 per cent, respectively.
