Spain's Tourism Will Exceed 85 Million Visitors By 2024: A Detailed Breakdown

On 14 August 2024 we've received the latest report (Ficha-Ejecutiva-Internacional-Agosto-2024) from the Spanish Ministry of Industry and Tourism.

Let's take a look at the numbers and see how many tourists visit Spain every year and how the industry has been growing and developing since the pandemic.

Here is a brief summary of the number of tourists visiting Spain each year from 2021 to 2024:

• 2021: Total tourists: 31.1 million

Significant recovery from the pandemic, with an increase of 64.4% compared to 2020.

• 2022: Total tourists: 71.5 million 

Continued strong recovery with a 129.5% increase compared to 2021, as travel restrictions ease and demand soars.

• 2023: Total tourists: 85.1 million

Recovery solidifies, surpassing pre-pandemic levels with an 18.7% increase over 2022

• 2024: Total tourists: 85.2 million (projection based on the first half of the year):

Continued growth with a slight increase over 2023, indicating a stable return to tourism strength.

This summary highlights the rapid recovery of tourism in Spain after the pandemic, culminating in a return to, and surpassing, pre-pandemic levels by 2023.

They were particularly concerned about the growing issue of overtourism in the Canary and Balearic Islands, as well as in cities like Barcelona and Málaga. 

It's so sad to see how the rising cost of living and reduced quality of life are affecting residents in these popular tourist destinations. They're right to demand stricter regulations to curb the negative impacts of mass tourism. 

The protests, supported by environmental organisations, have highlighted the tension between economic benefits and the social and environmental costs of overtourism. 

But here on the Costa del Sol, we're lucky to have a pretty calm season, and there's space for everyone. In my opinion, 2023 was much worse with the crowds! 

In 2024, Spain's tourism industry reached a record-breaking €108.8 billion in revenue, driven by over 224 million hotel nights booked and the arrival of 95 million passengers on direct flights. 

Despite this economic success, the surge in tourism has sparked widespread protests across the popular destinations.

The strong growth in Spain's air capacity further highlights the tension between the booming tourism sector and the mounting frustration among residents, who are increasingly demanding sustainable tourism practices.

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Additional Resources: For more details, you can visit conocimiento.tourspain.es, managed by Turespaña, the Spanish Institute of Tourism, where the information is available in Spanish.