(FILE). The good weather has the Catalan hotel sector optimistic about the prospects for Easter, with good occupancy rates expected both in areas such as the Costa Brava, where it could be close to 95%, and the Costa Dorada, in rural tourist accommodation and in the city of Barcelona, despite inflation. April 1, 2024. EFE/Enric Fontcuberta
Madrid, Feb 2 (EFE).- Spain broke international tourist records in 2023, attracting 85.1 million visitors and bringing the country 118.7 billion euros ($118.2 billion), according to data released Friday by the National Statistics Institute.
The number of arrivals in Spain increased by 18.7% compared to 2022, surpassing the 83.5 million in 2019, before the pandemic.
Expenditures reached 108.6 billion, up 24.7% from the previous year and above the 91.9 billion of 2019; spending figures mark consecutive record highs since November 2022.
Spain is the most visited destination for UK tourists, whith 17.3 million people traveling from the British islands in 2023.
France secured second place with 11.8 million visitors, and Germany, traditionally in second place, recorded 10.8 million.
In terms of expenditure, the United Kingdom remains the leading country with 19.947 billion (16.3% more than in 2022), followed by Germany (12.978 billion, up 12.6%) in second place, and France (9.767 billion, up 19.7%) in third.
In December, international tourist arrivals reached 5.2 million, reflecting a 26.2% increase compared to the same month in 2022 and a 21% rise as opposed to December 2019. EFE
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