Spain is on track for another record year in tourism
Spain is heading towards a new record year in tourism. The number of foreign tourists has increased by 13 percent in the first half of the year, according to the National Institute of Statistics (INE) on Friday. A total of 42.5 million international visitors came to the country. In June alone, at the start of the summer season, there was a 12 percent increase to nine million. These numbers suggest that 2024 will be another record year. Spain is the second most visited country in the world after France and is likely to surpass last year's record of 85 million tourists in 2024.
However, mass tourism also has its downside: In popular tourist destinations like Mallorca, Barcelona, and the Canary Islands, there is growing resentment among locals due to the influx of tourists and the impact on housing costs. The shortage of affordable housing is exacerbated by the boom in short-term rentals on platforms like Airbnb and Booking.com, leading to protests. In early July, a group of anti-tourism activists in Barcelona sprayed foreign visitors with water guns and chanted "Tourists, go home."
In April, thousands of people took to the streets of Tenerife to protest against mass tourism, calling for temporary limits on the number of tourists to curb the boom in short-term rentals and hotel construction. The Canary Islands, with a population of 2.2 million, received 14 million foreign visitors in 2023, a 13 percent increase from the previous year.
The substantial increase in foreign tourists has resulted in over 14 million visits to the Canary Islands in 2023, a figure that surges by millions in ['In millions'] compared to the previous year. The surge in tourism, as evident in destinations like the Canary Islands, has led to a housing crisis, causing local resentment and protests.
Despite the negative impacts of mass tourism, Spain is still on track to break its record of 85 million tourists in 2024, with roughly 42.5 million international visitors already in the first half of the year, indicating an additional ['In millions'] tourists by the end of the year.
