During the year 2021, 31.1 million tourists visited Spain, which represented an increase of 64.4% compared to the 10,787 the previous year, according to data published today by the National Institute of Statistics (INE). The total expenditure made by non-resident tourists in Spain during the year 2021 was 34,816 million euros, which represented an increase of 76% compared to 2020 (10,787 million).
For the Minister of Industry, Commerce and Tourism, Reyes Maroto, "December has behaved better than expected and that allows us to meet the forecasts for the end of the year, which are very good if we take into account the uncertainty generated by ómicron, which has not had the expected negative impact.
Regarding the global data for 2021, the head of Tourism added that "2022 will consolidate a recovery in the sector and Spain will take advantage of its strengths compared to other competing destinations."
Arrivals in December
In December, 2.9 million international tourists arrived in Spain, 354.5% more than in the same month of 2020. France is the main country of residence, with 532,218 tourists, which represents 18.0% of the total and an increase of 224.8% compared to December 2020.
The United Kingdom and Germany are the following countries with the most tourists visiting Spain. The United Kingdom contributes 415,585 (280.2% more in the annual rate) and Germany 405,064 (389.7% more).
The Canary Islands was the first main destination for tourists in December, with 30.6% of the total. They are followed by Catalonia (18.9%) and the Valencian Community (13.0%).
tourist spending
The total expenditure made by international tourists visiting Spain in December reaches 3,542 million euros, which represents an increase of 408.4% compared to the same month in 2020.
The average expenditure per tourist stands at 1,201 euros, with an annual increase of 11.8%. For its part, the average daily expenditure grew by 14.5%, to 126 euros.
The autonomous communities of main destination with the greatest weight in tourist spending in December are the Canary Islands (with 35.1% of the total), Catalonia (15.5%) and the Community of Madrid (12.6%).
