Despite the heavy rains that marked Easter at the end of March, tourism in Spain not only remained, but continued to grow. The number of international tourists increased by 21% compared to March last year, reaching 6.3 million visitors. Tourist spending also experienced a notable increase, rising by almost 30% and exceeding 8,651 million euros, according to data from the National Statistics Institute (INE) published this Friday. These figures have led to the first quarter of 2024 being the best in history in terms of visitors and spending.
This March has been exceptional for Spanish tourism, with a record number of international tourists, benefited by the Holy Week that this year fell in March instead of April as the previous year. The recent data exceeds by 13.4% the previous record of 5.6 million travelers registered in March 2019. In 2023, the figure remained at 5.2 million, but set a spending record with almost 6,668 million euros. The expenditure per tourist has grown faster than the number of visitors, indicating not only an increase in the number of tourists, but also in the average expenditure per visitor.
Main destinations: Canary Islands, Catalonia and Andalusia
The Canary Islands was the main destination for tourists in March, receiving 24.3% of the total visitors, followed by Catalonia and Andalusia, with 21.2% and 15.1% respectively. The regions with the highest growth in the number of visitors were Catalonia and the Valencian Community, with increases of 27.9% and 25.2% respectively compared to March 2023.
A record-breaking quarter
The boost in tourism in March was added to the good results of the first two months of the year. According to the INE, Spain received 16.1 million foreign tourists between January and March, 17.7% more than the previous year, achieving the best first quarter in history, surpassing the 14.2 million tourists of 2019. About 3 million tourists came from the United Kingdom, 2.1 million from Germany and almost 2 million from France, 15.1%, 19.5% and 15.7% more respectively than in 2023.
Growth in tourism spending
The Minister of Industry and Tourism, Jordi Hereu, highlighted that this first quarter, traditionally considered as low season, has been the best of the historical series, with a notable increase in total and average spending per tourist. Between January and March, foreign tourists spent 21,947 million euros in Spain, 27.2% more than the previous year, exceeding 20,000 million euros for the first time in a first quarter.
Increase in the use of tourist apartments
In these first months of 2024, the use of tourist apartments increased significantly, with 2.2 million travelers opting for this modality, 50% more than in the same period of 2023. Although tourist rents grew, hotels are still the main accommodation option, with 9.8 million tourists staying in them, 14.9% more than the previous year. In addition, almost 3.3 million people stayed in second homes or the homes of relatives and friends.
The INE also reported on extra-hotel occupations in March, indicating that tourist apartments, campsites, hostels and rural accommodation registered more than 9.2 million overnight stays, 31.4% more than the previous year. Overnight stays increased by 63.7% among residents in Spain and by 14.6% among non-residents.
Expectations of continuous growth
Tourism growth is expected to continue in the coming months. According to Turespaña, 9.49 million foreign tourists are expected to arrive in May, 14% more than in May 2023, with an estimated expenditure of about 12,000 million euros, 22% more than the previous year. "The trends for the summer are optimistic. After a great winter season, we hope that the second half of the year will equal or exceed the results of 2023," said Hereu, setting a goal of surpassing the 47.63 million tourists and the 62,710 million euros in spending achieved between July and December 2023.