Spain concluded 2023 with a record surge in international tourism, surpassing pre-pandemic levels by welcoming 85.1 million visitors. Expenditures reached 108,662 million euros, marking an 18.22 percent increase over 2019. The National Institute of Statistics (INE) released these figures, highlighting Catalonia as the leading destination, drawing 21.2 percent of all visitors. Yet, Catalonia stood alone among the major regions in recording a drop of 18 million visitors compared with the year before the pandemic.
Last year, Catalonia saw arrivals decline by 1.3 million compared with pre-pandemic levels, but other regions reversed that shortfall. Andalusia attracted 200,000 more visitors than in 2019, reaching 12.2 million. The Balearic and Canary Islands recorded increases of 800,000 visitors each, totaling 14.4 million and 13.9 million respectively. Valencia drew an additional 900,000 visits, bringing its total to 10.4 million, while Madrid added 200,000 visitors, reaching 7.8 million. Overall, the remaining autonomous communities, including northern areas of the peninsula, hosted 8.1 million tourists, a decrease of 100,000 from 2019. (INE, 2023)
Among the main home countries for travelers to Spain in 2023, the United Kingdom, France, and Germany led the way. France was the only top source country to surpass pre-pandemic numbers, with 11.8 million visitors, 700,000 more than in 2019. British travelers numbered 17.3 million, a decrease of 700,000, while Germans totaled 10.8 million, down by 300,000. U.S. visitors rose by 500,000, reaching 3.8 million. The category labeled as the rest of America stood out, tallying 4.6 million visitors, up from 3.7 million in 2019. (INE, 2023)
Beyond the headline arrivals, 2023 also highlighted notable shifts in spending behavior. The year saw inflation and a sustained post-pandemic demand push, contributing to higher average expenditures per visitor. On average, each tourist spent about 1,278 euros during their stay, a figure roughly 16 percent above the pre-coronavirus period. The autonomous communities concentrating the largest total expenditures were Catalonia, with spending of 20,878 million euros and a rise of about 26.7 percent from 2022; the Canary Islands, at 20,334 million euros and an increase around 16.5 percent; and the Balearic Islands, with 17,722 million euros, up about 16.4 percent. This pattern reflects a broad-based enhancement in tourist activity and consumer spending across the Spanish tourism landscape in 2023. (INE, 2023)