Overnight stays in non-hotel accommodations such as apartments, campsites, rural houses, and hostels reached a record high in 2023, totaling 137 million. This marked a 4.4 percent rise from the prior year and was 4.8 percent above the level recorded before the pandemic in 2019, signaling a strong rebound in domestic and international travel.
National statistics show that average prices for these stays also increased in 2023. Flats rose by 8.3 percent, camping areas by 5.4 percent, and rural tourism facilities by 4.9 percent, reflecting wider price growth across accommodation types.
In December alone, seven million overnight stays occurred in these establishments, up 9.8 percent year over year. Non-residents contributed a larger share of improvement at 10.5 percent, compared with an 8.6 percent rise among residents, underscoring growing international demand during the festive period.
Throughout the year, overnight stays by non-residents advanced by 8.1 percent, while the share represented by non-residents stood at a modest 0.1 percent of total stays, indicating a strong majority of domestic travelers still dominated the market.
Distribution of Accommodation Types in 2023
In 2023 the largest share of stays occurred in tourist apartments, which accounted for 50.9 percent of accommodations. Fields or rural settings represented 34.5 percent, rural tourism facilities 9.1 percent, and hostels the remaining 5.5 percent. Tourist apartments saw a 3.1 percent increase in overnight stays, totaling 69.77 million stays by 13.28 million travelers. Foreign visitors drove a larger rise in night stays at 5.5 percent, while the growth among domestic travelers slowed by 1.9 percent.
The Canary Islands emerged as a preferred destination, with more than 25.1 million overnight stays, up 4.2 percent from 2022. The United Kingdom remained the leading international market for tourist apartments, with 15.8 million nights, up 5.3 percent from the previous year.
Camping accommodations rose by 6.2 percent in 2023, with residents showing a 2.5 percent increase and non-residents a notable 10.9 percent rise. Campsites hosted 9.95 million travelers, while Catalonia stood out as a favored destination in this category. Germany was the main source market for camping stays, recording 19.2 million stays and accounting for 22.6 percent of total overnight stays, a 15.7 percent year over year increase.
Rural houses experienced a 3.7 percent uptick in overnight stays in 2023. Foreign visitors increased by 15.5 percent, while Spaniards rose more modestly by 0.3 percent. Overall, 4.6 million travelers used rural houses, with Castilla y Leon leading as the most popular destination, reporting 1.8 million overnight stays, up 4.2 percent from 2022.
Shelters or refuges saw a robust 7.4 percent growth in 2023. Residents decreased by 3.9 percent, whereas international visitors rose nearly 20 percent, highlighting a stronger appeal to non-residents. Galicia stood out as a favored destination in this category, recording 1.3 million nights stayed.
Overall, the data depict a broad-based recovery across non-hotel lodging sectors in 2023, driven by renewed international interest, holiday travel, and a steady uptick in rural and campsite stays. These trends reflect shifting preferences toward flexible lodging and unique travel experiences while maintaining the overall strength of the tourism sector in the region.
Source data provided by the National Institute of Statistics and tourism authorities for the year 2023. Figures reflect total overnight stays across non-hotel accommodations including apartments, campsites, rural houses, and hostels.