British holidaymakers help Spain break yet another tourism record
Spain welcomed 5.4 million foreign visitors in February who spent a whopping €7.26 billion
Spain has done it again, breaking yet another record by welcoming a staggering 5.4 million international visitors in February alone, with a whopping €7.26 billion spent in the country. This is the best the second month of the year has ever done, with a 7.7% increase in visitors and a 7.6% surge in spending compared to the same period last year.
As usual, British holidaymakers led the charge, with one million UK tourists flocking to Spain's sun-kissed shores in February, representing a 6.8% increase from last year. France and Germany followed closely, with 719,366 and 616,766 visitors, respectively. But the biggest surprise came from Switzerland, which saw a significant 30.2% increase in tourists, with 115,052 visitors.
So, where did all of these tourists head for? The Canary Islands were the clear winner, attracting 26.8% of all visitors, followed by Catalonia (21.1%) and Andalucía (14.4%).
The majority of holidaymakers (2.6 million) stayed between four and seven nights. Daytrippers were also on the rise, with a 15.8% surge, while longer-stay tourists (more than 15 nights) saw a 2.6% increase. And, with an average spend of €1,345 per tourist, it's clear that visitors are willing to splash out on their Spanish vacations.
Meanwhile, average daily spending grew by 5.5%, to €183.
The UK, Germany and Nordic countries were the top spenders, accounting for 16.7%, 11.5% and 9% of total expenditure, respectively. UK tourists increased their spending by 4.3%, while German tourists saw a 0.8% rise and Nordic visitors boosted their spending by a massive 10.9%.
Hotels remained the top choice for tourists, with 57.1% of total spending, representing a 6.8% year-over-year increase.
With these impressive figures for what is traditionally one of the quieter months, Minister for Tourism Jordi Hereu is predicting that 2025 will surpass the 100 million international tourist mark.
Image: Javier Perez Montes via Wikimedia Commons
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