Despite last year’s numerous anti-mass tourism protests, Spain has recorded its best ever first quarter in terms of visitor numbers and spending, with more than 17 million foreign holidaymakers spending over €23 billion.
In the first quarter of the year between January and March, Spain welcomed 17.1 million international tourists.
That’s already 5.7 percent more than in the same period last year and a new record figure for a first quarter.
This wasn’t even counting figures for Easter, which fell in April this year.
According to data published this Monday by Spain’s National Statistics Institute (INE), foreign visitors also spent a record amount of money during this Q1 – €23.5 billion in three months, which represents a 7.2 percent increase.
Average spending per tourist in Spain continues to grow, reaching €1,382 per trip at the end of March, a 1.7 percent increase, while average daily spending rose 4.5 percent to €188.
According to Spain’s Tourism Minister Jordi Hereu, Spain could expect a record number of visitors this year – a total of around 100 million tourists.
This could see Spain level with the world’s top tourism country – France – which welcomed a total of 100 million in 2024.
READ ALSO: Why is mass tourism such a problem in Spain but not in France?
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Although this is good news for the tourism industry as a whole, it will not be met with enthusiasm by thousands of locals across the country who are suffering from the effects of overtourism.
Last year alone there were dozens of anti-tourism protests across Spain from Barcelona and Málaga to the Canaries and the Balearic Islands. There have already been some protests this year too when Barcelona locals blocked a tourist bus and sprayed passengers water pistols and when locals in Mallorca sent an open letter to tourists asking them to stay away this year.
Many of the protests are inextricably linked to Spain’s housing crisis as many believe that tourism is largely to blame for the increase in property and rental prices, particularly because of the proliferation of Airbnb-style apartments in residential buildings in major cities.
More anti-tourism protests have been organised in various hotspots for this June.
