Regardless of final yr’s quite a few anti-mass tourism protests, Spain has recorded its finest ever first quarter when it comes to customer numbers and spending, with greater than 17 million overseas holidaymakers spending over €23 billion.
Within the first quarter of the yr between January and March, Spain welcomed 17.1 million worldwide vacationers.
That’s already 5.7 % greater than in the identical interval final yr and a brand new file determine for a primary quarter.
This wasn’t even counting figures for Easter, which fell in April this yr.
In response to knowledge printed this Monday by Spain’s Nationwide Statistics Institute (INE), overseas guests additionally spent a file amount of cash throughout this Q1 – €23.5 billion in three months, which represents a 7.2 % enhance.
Common spending per vacationer in Spain continues to develop, reaching €1,382 per journey on the finish of March, a 1.7 % enhance, whereas common each day spending rose 4.5 % to €188.
In response to Spain’s Tourism Minister Jordi Hereu, Spain may count on a file variety of guests this yr – a complete of round 100 million vacationers.
This might see Spain degree with the world’s high tourism nation – France – which welcomed a complete of 100 million in 2024.
READ ALSO: Why is mass tourism such a problem in Spain but not in France?
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Though that is excellent news for the tourism trade as a complete, it is not going to be met with enthusiasm by hundreds of locals throughout the nation who’re affected by the results of overtourism.
Final yr alone there have been dozens of anti-tourism protests throughout Spain from Barcelona and Málaga to the Canaries and the Balearic Islands. There have already been some protests this yr too when Barcelona locals blocked a tourist bus and sprayed passengers water pistols and when locals in Mallorca despatched an open letter to tourists asking them to remain away this yr.
Lots of the protests are inextricably linked to Spain’s housing disaster as many consider that tourism is essentially responsible for the rise in property and rental costs, significantly due to the proliferation of Airbnb-style flats in residential buildings in main cities.
Extra anti-tourism protests have been organised in varied hotspots for this June.
