You might think that the increasing protests against mass tourism in Spain would deter the flow of visitors. But the opposite is the case. According to the national statistics authority INE in Madrid around 53.4 million people had traveled to Spain from abroad by 31 July 2024 - an impressive increase of twelve percent compared to the same period last year.
Records wherever you look: A summer that exceeds all expectations
Not only visitor numbers, but also tourist spending has reached new highs. Holidaymakers and business travelers spent around 71.1 billion euros in the first seven months of this year - 19% more than in the same period last year. In July alone, 10.9 million tourists spent 15.5 billion euros in the country - an increase of almost twelve percent compared to the previous record in July 2023.
The usual suspects: British, French and German
As in previous years, the British top the list of foreign visitors. With over 10.5 million travelers, they are the undisputed leaders, followed by the French with a good seven million and the Germans with 6.8 million holidaymakers. Catalonia remains the most visited region, but in July the Balearic Islands took the lead with more than 2.5 million tourists in that month alone.
Unrest in paradise: Protests against the tourism boom
But while the numbers are rising, resistance from locals is also growing. There have been numerous demonstrations in holidaymaker strongholds such as Mallorca, Barcelona, Málaga and the Canary Islands in recent weeks. Residents are increasingly annoyed by the negative side effects of mass tourism: housing shortages, traffic jams, noise and pollution. However, despite the protests, tourism remains an important economic factor - almost 14 percent of Spain's gross domestic product depends on it, and in some regions, such as the Balearic Islands, this figure is even higher.
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