Spain sees big foreign tourist boost during first three months of 2023

SPAIN was visited by 13.7 million foreign tourists in the first three months of the year- 41.2% more than in the same period in 2022.

Between January and March, the total spend by international tourists was €17.2 billion, an increase of 44.7% compared to the same quarter last year, according to the National Statistics Institute.

In March, 5.3 million visitors arrived in Spain (an increase of 30% compared to March 2022), who spent a total of €6.6 billion euros, 31.1% more than a year ago.

Minister for Industry, Trade and Tourism, Hector Gomez, claimed the figures were proof that ‘2023 is becoming an extraordinary year for tourism in all measures with higher spending and longer stays’.

“We are witnessing the consolidation of tourism as one of the main drivers of the Spanish economy, which is also reflected in the quality of employment in the sector and in an increasingly varied and innovative range of destinations,” Gomez added.

By country, the United Kingdom, dominates the foreign arrivals with 1.1 million visitors, experienced strong growth in March (up 29.4%) compared to the same month in 2022.

France and Germany are the countries that come next on the visitor numbers tally.

The Canary Islands were the top tourist destination in March, accounting for 24.7% of all foreign tourists(1.3 million people)- up 15.5% more than a year ago.

UK arrivals accounted for 35.2% of the Canaries total.

Catalunya and Andalucia were the next two busiest regions for international tourists.

READ MORE:

• Spain’s foreign tourist revival continues with bigger spending than in 2019
• Spain had more foreign tourists in January than three years earlier- just before Covid pandemic