Spain experienced a significant surge in international tourism during the month of April, welcoming a record-breaking figure of 7.2 million visitors from abroad. This number represents an 18.5% increase compared to the same month in 2022 and a 1.2% rise compared to April 2019, before the onset of the global pandemic. The data, released by the National Statistics Institute (INE) of Spain, reveals that not only did the arrival of tourists surpass pre-Covid levels, but spending also exceeded expectations.
Among the top countries contributing to Spain’s tourism boom, the United Kingdom led the way with 1.4 million visitors in April, an 8.7% increase from the same month in 2022. Hot on its heels came France and Germany with more than one million visitors each. The USA is the country with the highest increase of tourists at 75.4%.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez took to social media to celebrate the news, tweeting, “Spain has broken the record for foreign tourists in the best April in history.” He also made a veiled reference to the upcoming general election on 23rd July, stating, “This good economic news cannot be hidden by the far-right parties.”
Foreign tourism plays a crucial role in the Spanish economy, typically contributing around 12.3% to the country’s GDP and supporting over 2.6 million jobs. In 2019, Spain was the second most visited country globally, attracting 83.7 million tourists throughout the year. However, the outbreak of Covid-19 led to a drastic decline in visitor numbers in 2020, with just 19 million tourists, the lowest figure since 1969, representing a decrease of over 80%.
During 2021, Spain experienced a partial recovery, with 31.1 million international tourists visiting the country. The Spanish government had set a target of 45 million foreign visitors for that year, roughly half of the pre-pandemic level. In 2022, the number of foreign visitors reached approximately 70 million, still 15% lower than the 2019 figure.
Rebound
The latest data released for April 2023 indicates that Spain’s tourism sector has finally rebounded after more than three years of lower visitor figures compared to the pre-Covid era. “This extraordinary data demonstrates, once again, that Spain is at the forefront of world tourism, that tourism recovery is complete, and that the government’s policies work,” declared Héctor Gómez, the Minister of Industry, Commerce, and Tourism.
Projections for May to October 2023 suggest that Spain will receive between 52.3 and 54.8 million foreign tourists, slightly more than the figures for the same months in 2019. In the first four months of 2023 alone, Spain has already welcomed nearly 21 million international tourists, representing an impressive growth rate of 32.4% compared to the previous year.
Notably, April 2023 also witnessed record-breaking tourist spending, reaching a total of €8.48 billion. This figure represents a significant 22.7% increase compared to 2022 and a remarkable 20.2% increase compared to the best pre-pandemic data. According to the INE, the average spending per tourist in April stood at €1,172, marking a 3.6% annual increase. Daily average spending also rose by 11.6% to €173.
The rise in tourist spending can be attributed in part to substantial price increases that have occurred over the past 18 months. Accommodation prices in Spain have surged by an average of 24%, while tourist packages and restaurant prices have risen by 17% and 15%, respectively, compared to pre-pandemic levels.