Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, Spain
MADRID, Spain – Spain’s tourism sector is on track to post record revenues again in 2024, the Exceltur Tourism Association said on Tuesday, adding that it was concerned about growing anger in the country over overtourism. .
Tourism revenue this year is expected to reach 202.65 billion euros ($215.4 billion), already showing an “extraordinary rate of growth,” Exceltur Vice President José Luis Zoleda said at a press conference. This is 8.6% higher than the record set in 2023, he said.
He added that if confirmed, tourism receipts for Spain, the world’s second-most visited country after France, would exceed 200 billion euros for the first time.
Spain is benefiting from a recovery in global travel, particularly from Asian markets, following the end of the coronavirus pandemic.
Meanwhile, security concerns in the competing sunshine market in the eastern Mediterranean due to the Israel-Hamas war are contributing to an increase in visitors to the country, Exceltur said.
He added that the tourism sector is receiving a boost from increased air travel and the entry of new railway companies, increasing competition and lowering high-speed rail travel prices, leading to an increase in domestic tourism.
Spain welcomed a record 85.1 million foreign tourists last year, mainly from Britain, France and Germany, according to national statistics agency INE.
The surge in visitor numbers has sparked a backlash from local residents in tourist hotspots such as the Balearic Islands, Canary Islands and Malaga.
Asked about the growing anti-tourism movement, Zoreda said: “Our concern is to continue to grow Spanish tourism in a way that is sustainable and does not create social backlash.”
Exceltur groups hotels, resorts, transportation companies, car rental and entertainment businesses in Spain.
