Spain records a significant increase in international tourism during the first quarter, with the arrival of 13.7 million visitors, representing a 41.2% increase compared to the same period of the previous year. According to data published by the National Institute of Statistics (INE), the total expenditure of foreign tourists in these three months reached 17,201 million euros, which represents a 44.7% growth compared to last year. In March, the country received 5.3 million visitors, generating a total expenditure of 6,657 million euros, which represents a 30% and 31.1% increase, respectively.
The Minister of Industry, Commerce and Tourism, Héctor Gómez, highlighted that these data demonstrate that tourism is experiencing an extraordinary year in Spain, both in quantitative and qualitative terms, with higher expenditure and longer stays. He also emphasized the importance of tourism as one of the main drivers of the Spanish economy, reflected in the quality of employment in the sector and in an increasingly diverse and innovative range of destinations. The countries that experienced the highest growth in the number of visitors were the United States, Portugal, and Italy, while the autonomous communities of the Canary Islands, Catalonia, and Andalusia were the most popular destinations during this period.
