Tourism is one of the most important sectors in the world economy, and particularly in the Spanish economy. In Spain, tourism accounted for 11.1% of the GDP in 2016 and the country was ranked third in the world in terms of income from international tourism. Undoubtedly, the tourism sector is one of the main drivers of growth in Spain, not only in economic terms but also for the labour market and social development.
The latest OECD report Tourism Trends and Policies 2018, as well as the last survey from the Spanish Statistical Office (Instituto Nacional de Estadística) entitled Resident Tourism Survey provide an in-depth analysis of the impact that this sector has on the economies of different countries. Here we will have a look at this sector in Spain focussing on two different aspects: international tourism that Spain receives and travel trends of the Spaniards themselves.
International Tourism in Spain
According to data from the Spanish Statistical Office, 75.3 million international tourists visited Spain in 2016: 10.3% more than the previous year. This was accompanied by a total expenditure of 77.625 million euros (an increase of 9.0% compared to the previous year). In 2017 the preferred destinations for tourists within Spain were the following: Catalonia (23.23%), Canary Islands (17.36%), Balearic Islands (16.87%), Andalusia (14.06%), Valencian Community (10.88%), and the Community of Madrid (8.19%). The last two regions have had the most remarkable annual increase in tourism of all the regions: 15.3% and 15.8% respectively. This could be an indication that tourists are exploring more than just the beaches that Spain has to offer.
Source: Dos Aguas ConsultingThe visitors that Spain receives each year come mostly from the following countries or regions: United Kingdom, France, Germany, the nordic countries and Italy. These data are supported by the OECD and the Spanish Statistical Office.
Source: Dos Aguas ConsultingIn 2017, 81.8 million tourists arrived in Spain. Furthermore, 4.7 million people travelled for business and professional reasons, which was slightly more than in 2016. The duration of stay of foreign visitors in Spain was mostly between four and seven nights (38 million tourists). As for the organization of the trip, we see a general decrease of tourists that choose to book an organized stay such as through a travel agency or a tourist package.
Domestic Tourism
According to the Spanish Statistical Office, Spaniards mainly make domestic trips (and who can blame them!?). Of the 132 million trips made by Spanish residents in 2016, only 8.6% were abroad.
In 2017 the most visited domestic destination by Spanish residents was Andalusia, which accounted for 16.8% of total trips, followed by Catalonia (13%), and Valencian Community (9.6%).
To sum up, Spain is a country that mostly receives tourists, reinforcing its position by a very high rate of domestic tourism. The reception of tourists continues to grow year after year, registering a growth of 17.7% in the period from 2012 to 2016. In short, the tourism industry is a strong sector with a very positive effect on the Spanish economy.
Sources:
- OCDE (2018) OECD Tourism Trends and Policies 2018, OECD Publishing, Paris. Available online (link) [Last accessed: 23.11.2018]
- Instituto Nacional de Estadística (2017) España en cifras 2017. Available online (link) [Last accessed: 23.11.2018]
- Instituto Nacional de Estadística (1 de febrero de 2018) Estadística de Movimientos Turísticos en Fronteras (FRONTUR). Diciembre 2017 y año 2017,Press release. Available online (link) [Last accessed: 23.11.2018]
- Instituto Nacional de Estadística (19 de abril de 2018) Encuesta de Turismo de Residentes (ETR/FAMILITUR) Cuarto trimestre de 2017 y año 2017, Press release. Available online (link) [Last accessed: 23.11.2018]