Spain received 8.8 million international visitors in August, still below 10 million before the pandemic, but with greater profitability for the tourism sector
The summer practically recovered the tourism level of 2019, before the pandemic broke out and the tourism sector plunged into the worst crisis in history in Spain. Spain received the visit of more than 8.8 million international tourists in August, still 13% among the more than 10 million people who arrived in the same month of 2019, according to data published by the INE on Tuesday.
Nevertheless, the sector’s profitability is improving as these travelers spent a total of 11,258 million euros on their holidays in Spain, almost the same as in 2019 and twice as much as last year. For this reason, Jorge Marichal, President of Cehat (Confederation of Hotels and Tourist Accommodations), after taking note of these data, pointed out that the recovery of tourism “has not been complete”, despite having a “very good summer” used to be. It acknowledges that the collection has increased and that the average rates are above those of 2019.
The average expenditure per foreign tourist even rose to 1,276 euros in August, 120 euros more than the expenditure of the same tourists during their stay in 2019. The average daily expenditure increased by 20% compared to last year, to 162 euros per day. In addition, the INE shows that the average travel time is 7.9 days, 0.5 less than in August 2021, which shows once again that although there are fewer tourists and less time, more is being spent during their stay.
The Minister of Industry, Trade and Tourism, Reyes Maroto, expressed her satisfaction with the data she described as “extraordinary” and emphasized that the tourism sector is the sector that contributes most to job creation and the increase in membership in Spain. In an interview on TVE, the minister stated that the tourism sector is one of the most dynamic sectors of the economy and that “despite the uncertainty of the autumn” he will continue to create and redistribute wealth throughout the territory “and thus contribute to the territorial cohesion”.
The country from which the most tourists came this year was the United Kingdom, with more than 1.8 million tourists, 21% of the total. France and Germany were the next countries with the most tourists to visit Spain, with 1.6 million and 1.1 million people respectively.
According to the main destination, the Balearic Islands were the most visited, with 25% of all foreign tourists. They are followed by Catalonia (21.4%) and Andalusia (14.6%). Nearly 2.2 million tourists arrived in the Balearic Islands, 97% of those who arrived in August 2019, mainly from Germany and the United Kingdom. The number of tourists visiting Catalonia is almost 1.9 million (80% as of August 2019) and they come mainly from France and other European countries. With almost 1.3 million visitors (92% as of August 2019), Andalusia has the UK and France as its first origin markets.
Source: La Verdad
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
