Spanish tourism bounces back with nearly 75 million arrivals so far this year

SPAIN continues to register an impressive recovery from the pandemic. Figures released on Friday, December 16 by the national tourism agency, Turespaña, revealed that a staggering 74,722,863 passengers arrived in Spanish airports between January and November.

The figures represent a recovery of 84.5 per cent on pre-pandemic figures from 2019, and are 147.6% higher than figures from 2021. November figures were just 6.8 per cent below pre-pandemic levels, with nearly 5.5 million passengers arriving in the country.

The UK is the largest market for international tourism, according to the report, making up more than 23 per cent of arrivals.

Spanish Minister for Industry, Commerce and Tourism, Reyes Maroto, expressed her delight at the figures, calling them a result of the “extraordinary” tourist season this summer. She added that the statistics are encouraging for the winter season.

“Spain has re-established itself as a leading international destination in its pandemic recovery, and continues to do so, building a tourism model based on quality, sustainability and digitalisation”, she added.

The news comes amid reports that the national Aena airport network has recovered 96 per cent of its pre-pandemic travel figures.