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Spain welcomed 88.5 million international tourists in the first 11 months of 2024, with the record figure two million more than the total recorded in 2023, new data shows. Between January and November, tourists spent close to 120 billion euros, 17% more than the previous year, according to INE national institute of statistics data.
Spain is also experiencing a tourism boom outside the high season, where if only the month of November is taken into account, the country welcomed 5.7 million tourists, 10.3% more than in the same month of 2023, generating a total expenditure of 7.7 billion euros, 16% more, with an average daily expenditure of 178 euros.
The United Kingdom, France and Germany continue to dominate the number of visitors, with more than 17.5 million coming from the UK, an increase of 7.1%. The most visited regions in Spain were Catalonia (18.9 million and an increase of 9.9% compared to the same period in 2023), the Balearic Islands (15.1 million and an increase of 6.1%) and the Canary Islands (13.8 million, up 9.6%).
In this period, the total expenditure of international tourists increased by 16.7% and reached 118 billion euros, according to the INE. The United Kingdom was the country with the highest cumulative expenditure (18.1% of the total), followed by Germany (12.3%) and France (8.8%).
According to a tourism expenditure survey (Egatur), in the first 11 months of 2024, the Spanish regions that accumulated the highest tourism expenditure were Catalonia (with 18.9% of the total), the Canary Islands (17.4%) and the Balearic Islands (16.7%).
The effect of the 'Dana' storm was particularly felt in Valencia, although it continues to be the Spanish region with the highest growth for the year as a whole, with a total of 11.2 million visits (up 15.5%). In November this growth was limited to 4.2%, well below the double-digit growth rate of other Spanish regions.
The figures once again highlight the importance for the economy of a sector that has not slowed down, even in the face of strong criticism and mass demonstrations against overcrowding.
According to latest INE figures, tourism activity reached 184 billion euros in 2023, representing a total of 12.3% of GDP, which was 0.9 points more than in 2022. Tourism generated more than 2.5 million jobs, 11.6% of total employment, according to the data.
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