Spain's tourism industry bounces back: Over 66.5 million visitors in nine months
Friday, November 10, 2023 @ 8:52 AM
HOLIDAYMAKERS from abroad visiting Spain this year are spending more money than ever, and visitor numbers have soared since last year, according to recent figures from the National Institute of Statistics (INE).
Holidaymakers arriving in a Spanish city (photo by Spain's national television and radio broadcasting service, RTVE)
Between January and September 2023 inclusive, a total of 66.5 million people resident abroad travelled to Spain – about one-and-a-half times the year-round population, and the equivalent of the entire headcount of the UK.
Although this represents a reduction of 0.6% on 2019 – the last year before the pandemic and still Spain's record season – foreign tourists were much more numerous than during the same nine-month period in 2022.
Year on year, a total of 18.8% more visitors from abroad came to Spain in 2023, the INE reveals.
And although numbers are slightly lower than pre-pandemic, the amount tourists spend when they travel to Spain has increased by 15.1%.
Based upon the first nine months of 2022, this represents a rise of 24% - foreign holidaymakers have brought in nearly €84.7 billion in 2023, and the year is not even over yet.
Read more at thinkSPAIN.con