“2023 was a record year for tourism” and visitors spent more than ever. This is the conclusion of the Minister of Industry and Tourism, Jordi Hereu, who has released the historical records of the main sector of the economy. The 84 million international tourists who visited Spain last year spent 108 billion euros at their destination, 23.8% more than in 2022 and 17.4% more than in 2019. On average, each visitor spent 1,285 euros .
The Government now considers the pandemic and the problem it caused for the sector due to health restrictions over. The 84 million visitors represent 19% more visitors than in 2022 and 1% more than the best year in the historical series so far, 2019. The British and Germans continued to lead the arrivals. The United States market deserves special mention, which grew by 48% last year.
Tourism employment also rose 5.4% at the end of December compared to the same month in 2022, which indicates that 2023 ended with the highest number of affiliates in the historical series. There are 2.5 million members in the main sector, which represents 12.5% of total members, according to official Government figures.
Minister Hereu has advanced that the historical figures for 2023 are being surpassed in the first months of 2024. Specifically, he pointed out that the forecast for spending on tourists during the first four months is 30,432 million, 18.5% more than in the same period last year. Regarding the possible closing of the year, Hereu has stated that all these figures should be surpassed in the coming months and, therefore, "2024 will once again be another record year."
“We are on a good path that leads us not to complacency, but to demands. We have to continue taking care of this magnificent economic sector of Spain as a country,” Hereu warned. The minister has set the sector's priorities: sustainability, improving employment conditions, diversification of supply, training and digitalization.
Jordi Hereu has also assured that the objective for the growth of tourism is to attract intercontinental tourism. “We want more visitors from other continents to visit us, we have to fight there,” he added. He has defended adding this element so that tourism does not focus only on “quantity.” “We have to diversify to spread prosperity to a less populated Spain,” he explained as a roadmap.
Regarding the regulation of tourist rental housing, a recurring demand from hotel companies, mainly, the Government has assumed that there is a problem in certain destinations and has scheduled the work to be carried out by its department in collaboration with the Ministry of Housing.
The Minister of Industry and Tourism has also admitted that the crisis in the Red Sea with the Houthis of Yemen is causing problems in the supply chain in certain sectors, such as textiles. Hereu added that the Government is “very much on top” of this business problem.
