HE The tourism industry has already overcome the effects of the epidemic. This is also confirmed by the data presented by . Tourism Minister Nuria MontesAt the Valencian Community stand at Fitur, which will be held from today until January 28 at the IFEMA exhibition center in Madrid. ANDThe number of foreign tourists exceeded 10 million for the first time. Specifically, last year the Valencian Community had 10.2 million visitors from outside its borders; This was up over half a million people compared to 2019, the year before the massive crash caused by covid. This is just one of the many data Nuria Montes offers to support this recovery in the industry with record numbers.
“We broke almost all the records,” Montes emphasized. “Moreover, the overall satisfaction of our tourists is outstanding (9.2) and we are heading towards 10,” he said, emphasizing the value of “the real engine of the Valencian Community economy.”
As for the predictions for these 2024 results, the prospects are no less promising. According to the report presented by Turisme Comunitat Valenciana, the turnover of Valencian tourism companies is expected to increase by 10% this year compared to 2023 data.
Looking at the already consolidated data for the past 2023, the 28.5 million passengers the Valencian Community received between foreigners and citizens last year stands out compared to the 26.6 million it received in 2022. Similarly, regarding Pre-Pandemic figures, sales are already up 16.6% on figures achieved in 2019. Meanwhile, tourist spending increased by up to 23.4%.
The weight of tourism increases relative to Valencia’s GDP
These results mean that in four years and with the pandemic and border closures in between, the tourism sector’s contribution to Valencia’s GDP has increased from 15.7% to 16%, cementing itself as one of the engines of your economy. . So much so that the employment created by the sector has also increased: In particular, it increased by 6.24% last year, from 188,708 employees in 2022 to 200,481 in 2023.
Meanwhile, according to the same document submitted by Turisme, a total of 26 million passengers were recorded at Valencia airports for both departures and arrivals; This represents an increase of 21%. In this sense, Mazón assured that both the expansion of Valencia airport and the creation of a second runway at Alicante airport are “essential”.
Based on this data, Generalitat president Carlos Mazón emphasized that “it is essential to expand Manises airport and the second runway in Alicante” in order “not to die of success”. Mazón had previously boasted in his presentation to the Costa Blanca Board of Trustees that the last 2023 “was a very good year and the next year will be even better” and emphasized that the Valencian Community is now under management. the traveler “without threat of any taxes or duties.” Councilwoman Nuria Montes also mentioned the same rate and, as she emphasized, “Thank God this has been repealed.”
Montes wanted to acknowledge the “effort” of the tourism sector, with both the councilor and the Consell chairman reminding that “in a significant inflation scenario” it increases prices by a smaller percentage (14.9%) than energy. %) or consumables (%29.1). For this reason, Montes, who wanted “the sector not to be demonized”, stated that he was also very concerned about sustainability.
Although the French market was the largest growing market last year, the main foreign market remains the UK. However, Montes noted the potential of North American tourism for the future.