- In spite of the ongoing demonstrations, tourist numbers in Spain continue to rise.
Spain is currently hosting an unprecedented influx of international tourists, despite facing escalating protests against the mass tourism industry this year. By July 31st, the number of tourists had soared by approximately 12% compared to the previous year, reaching a staggering 53.4 million, as per data released by Spain's national statistics agency, INE. The overall spending by tourists and businesses also surged by nearly 19% to around 71.1 billion euros.
In July itself, Spain welcomed 10.9 million international tourists (representing a 7.3% rise from July 2023), who injected approximately 15.5 billion euros into the country's economy. This figure marked a significant jump of about 12% or over 1.7 billion euros compared to the previous highest recorded figure, which was achieved in July 2023, INE revealed.
Germans ranked third, following the British and French
Once more, the British dominated the visitor statistics, logging over 10.5 million visits from January 1st to July 31st (representing an 8.6% increase compared to the corresponding period in 2023). The French came in second with over 7 million visits (a 10.6% rise), while Germany boasted over 6.8 million visits (an increase of 10.1%).
The most popular tourist destination was Catalonia, attracting almost 11.5 million visitors, followed closely by the Balearic Islands with over 8.7 million, the Canary Islands (slightly under 8.7 million), and Valencia (nearly 6.8 million). However, in July, the Balearic Islands (over 2.5 million) surpassed Catalonia (nearly 2.4 million) in terms of visitor numbers.
Spain's tourist numbers had been on a sharp climb for several years prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Post-2022, though, the trend of setting new records continued unabated. The anti-tourism protests, which involved tourists being subjected to insults and water gun attacks, have failed to deter the pattern.
Anti-tourism demonstrations have occurred in popular tourist hotspots like Mallorca, Barcelona, Málaga, and the Canary Islands, as well as in smaller towns. The locals are particularly disgruntled by the rapid escalation in housing shortages, which is also linked to the surge in vacation rental properties, as well as traffic congestion, noise pollution, and litter.
Tourism contributes to nearly 14% of Spain's GDP, but in certain regions like Mallorca and the Balearic Islands, its importance is far more substantial, amounting to around 35%.
Despite the ongoing protests against mass tourism in popular destinations like Mallorca and the Balearic Islands, Spain continues to attract a large number of tourists. In July 2023, the Canary Islands surpassed Catalonia in terms of visitor numbers, with over 2.5 million tourists.
The Balearic Islands, being a significant contributor to Spain's tourism industry, accounts for around 35% of its GDP in certain regions, such as itself.
