Although restrictions have ended, residents of Alicante and the Valencian Community opted to stay closer to home last year, choosing national destinations over long trips abroad. This shift came as prices in transportation and hotels rose, and as many families faced reduced purchasing power from inflation.
Understandably, the closer travel did not spare households from higher expenses. Even with shorter journeys, spending increased by about 10.25 percent compared with the previous year, according to the latest data from the Valencian Institute of Statistics’ Resident Tourism Survey.
Overall, Valencian residents made 14,003,446 trips from January through September last year, a small drop of 0.86 percent. This contrasts with the surge over 22 percent seen in 2022, when the easing of pandemic restrictions unleashed a booming tourism season.
What might look like a minor dip at first becomes clearer when examining overnight stays—these fell by more than 10 percent, reflecting shorter visits. Yet, higher daily costs pushed the average expenditure upward by roughly 23 percent, with total spending reaching 4.014 billion euros. This represents a 10 percent rise in nine months compared with 2022.
Alongside shorter stays, the study highlights a notable change: more Valencian travelers opted for national destinations that are closer and more affordable. The average daily spend when traveling abroad exceeded 112 euros, compared with the expenditure when visiting any location within Spain outside Valencia.
International travel declined by 6.2 percent, totaling 1,234,267 trips. The drop was more pronounced during the summer months. While outbound travel in 2022 fell by almost 20 percent, Valencians did see a rebound in international travel, though it remains about 15 percent below pre-pandemic levels. Foreign visitors to the Valencian Community followed a different pattern and did not recover at the same pace.
National
Within national travel, there was a slight overall decline of 0.31 percent, yet results were uneven. Valencian residents reduced travel within the autonomous community by up to 10 percent, even as they accounted for the largest share with 7,062,234 trips. Travel to other parts of Spain rose by 15.25 percent, reaching 5,706,963 trips.
The President of the Valencia Travel Agencies Cooperation Association, Miguel Jiménez, points to rising prices as the main driver behind these adjustments. He notes that ongoing geopolitical tensions, international instability, and reduced air connections also impact travel volumes. Still, the emergence of low-cost AVE routes has made it easier to move around the peninsula.
This is how the travel budget is distributed. Of the total €4.014 billion spent by community residents on travel between January and September 2023, the largest share went to accommodation, at €1.066 billion. Transportation accounted for €928 million, while tourist packages consumed €310 million. Bars and restaurants drew €972 million, and the remaining expenditures amounted to €738 million.