Yzabelle Bostyn
OCTOBER saw tourist spending surge by 15.5% in Spain, with the industry raking in €11.9billion.
Spain’s tourism sector has seen a huge boom in October 2024, with tourism spending surging to €11.898 billion.
In comparison to October 2023, this represents a 15.5% increase perhaps pushed by rising arrivals.
International arrivals grew 9.5% since last year, bringing more than 8.9 million tourists to the country.
The promising stats show a growth in Spain’s booming tourism industry, which has had a steady recovery since the pandemic.
Spain continues to attract tourists from trusty markets like Britain, Germany and France.
However, there are also more arrivals from further afield like North America and Asia.
This October there was also a sharp increase in average spending, with each visitor spending €1,327 on average, a 5.5% increase compared to the same month in 2023.
It is thought this rise is down to Spain’s continued attraction as a safe, culturally rich destination with ‘luxury tourism’ options for wealthier tourists and those from high spending markets such as the USA.
Daily visitor spending has also increased, with an average of €191 per day, representing a 2.9% increase since October 2023.
Tourism is a key part of Spain’s economy, contributing billions each year and employing hundreds of thousands.
This year, the country is set to surpass pre-pandemic revenue levels, further establishing itself as one of the world’s busiest tourist destinations.
Spain’s strength also lies in its ability to attract significant amounts of visitors in the off-season.
The increased number of tourists in October goes to show that their diversification of services and year round sun make Spain a great year-round destination.
Over the next few years, the tourism sector is only expected to grow despite growing tension between locals and politicians and a summer of anti-tourism protests.
