Spain received 53.4 million international tourists by 31 July, marking a 12% increase from the previous year, according to new data out this week.

This influx generated €71.1 billion for the economy, as reported by Spain's National Institute of Statistics (INE). This record high in tourism revenue represents an 18% rise compared to last year's record.

The country’s tourism minister Jordi Hereu described the figures as “an injection of prosperity” for the Spanish economy as he arrived at the 38th annual digital economy and telecommunications meeting organised by Ametic in Santander.

In July, the average spending per tourist was €1,432, a 4% increase from 2023. Daily expenditure also rose by 2%, reaching €195 per person, according to the data.

“These figures corroborate the fact that tourism continues to drive the country's economy, generating wealth and employment,” the tourism minister stated.

Spain welcomed 10.9 million international tourists in July alone, a 7.3% increase compared to the same month in 2023, Sur in English reports.

The majority of visitors came from the UK, totalling over two million, which is a 2.6% rise from July of the previous year. France contributed 1.6 million tourists, marking a 3.4% increase, while Germany sent 12 million tourists, up by 6.6%.

Furthermore, most tourists visiting Spain in July favoured the Balearic Islands as their primary destination, accounting for 234% of the total. They were followed by Catalonia, with 22.1%, and Valencia, which attracted 13.6% of the tourists.

In addition, total expenditure by international tourists in Spain reached €15.5 billion in July, marking an 11.9% increase compared to the same month in 2023, according to the INE.

The regions with the highest tourist spending in July were the Balearic Islands, which accounted for 24.4% of the total, Catalonia with 20.1%, and Valencia with 13.3%. 

Moreover, tourist expenditure saw an annual increase of 16.2% in the Balearic Islands, 2.1% in Catalonia, and 20.1% in Valencia, according to the INE.