Spain exceeds 33 million tourists up to May, 13.6% more, with expenditure of 43,200 million (+22%)

spain tourismTourists and umbrellas on a Spanish beach

Each tourist spent an average of €1,263 in May, 7.3% more than in 2023. According to the National Statistics Institute (INE), Spain received 9.3 million international tourists in May, 11.5% more than in the same month in 2023. In the month analysed, the United Kingdom was the main country of residence of tourists arriving in Spain, with more than 1.9 million tourists and an increase of 5.7% compared to May 2023. From France came 1.3 million (up 11.7%) and from Germany 1.2 million (up 9.3%).

In the period of the first five months of 2024 (5M2024) the number of tourists visiting Spain increased by 13.6% and exceeded 33.2 million. The main countries of origin in 5M2024 were the United Kingdom (with nearly 6.4 million and an increase of 10.6%), France (with more than 4.4 million and an increase of 13.2%) and Germany (with more than 4.4 million, an increase of 14.7%).

In May, the number of tourists using market accommodation as their main mode of accommodation increased by 13.0% year-on-year. Within this type, hotel accommodation grew by 13.0% and rented accommodation by 11.1%. Non-market accommodation increased by 2%.

The majority length of stay among tourists was four to seven nights, with more than 4.7 million and an annual increase of 12.0%. The number of visitors increased by 11.9% among non-overnight visitors (excursionists) and by 14.8% among tourists with a longer duration of stay (more than 15 nights).

In addition, almost 7.0 million tourists travelled without a package tour in May, an increase of 12.1%. More than 2.3 million package tourists arrived, up 9.7%.


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The Corner
The Corner has a team of on-the-ground reporters in capital cities ranging from New York to Beijing. Their stories are edited by the teams at the Spanish magazine Consejeros (for members of companies’ boards of directors) and at the stock market news site Consenso Del Mercado (market consensus). They have worked in economics and communication for over 25 years.