Spanish tourism is doing well. Very good. This is clearly reflected by INE, which in its latest assessment of the sector left some clues that allow us to think about a record year in the influx of foreign visitors. In August alone, close to 10.9 million international tourists were detected, an increase of 7.3% compared to 2023, and it is estimated that around 64.3 million visitors from other countries came to Spain in the first eight months of the year; This is the highest score since Spain. are records.

The numbers look good, but they run into a problem: Neighborhood protests reflect population saturation in the densest areas, at least in certain parts of the country. The posters of the demonstration, which spread to the streets of Palma de Mallorca and was supported by more than 12 thousand people, recently read: “Let’s change the route, let’s put limits on tourism.”

A record balance. When it comes to planning their holidays, more and more foreigners think of Spain. The Observatory shows that the latest INE report shows that the country will receive just over 64.3 million international tourists in the first eight months of 2024; this is the “highest figure” since statistical records were discovered. There were 10.9 million in August alone; this was 7.3% more than last year; This year was closed with a balance the industry has never seen before.

If we just stick to the summer campaign, things are looking good too. While we wait to find out how the first weeks of September went, INE counted 21.8 million international tourists between July and August. Newspaper He examined INE’s historical record and confirmed that it represents 4.2% more than in the same period in 2017, well before the health crisis and when the industry reached its best summer season. At least so far.

The visit issue… and the euro. It matters for a very simple reason whether the sector receives more or fewer foreign tourists, or whether it is more or less close to breaking its own record. Tourism is money. And INE gives a good explanation of this too. Technicians calculated that each international visitor spent an average of 188 euros per day in August. This figure, which corresponds to 1,405 Euros during your holiday, represents 15,363 million Euros in the entire sector. These are once again positive figures and reflect an increase of between 5% and 13% compared to 2023.

The data reflects that the increase in tourist numbers translates into an even greater increase in spending. In the first eight months of 2024, the total spending of foreign visitors increased by 17.6% to 83,471 million, while the influx itself increased by 11.2%. This percentage is largely explained by tourism from neighboring countries Germany, France and the United Kingdom, which increase the budget for holidays in Spain by more than 10%.

How is it distributed? This influx of tourists (and euros) is equally unnoticed throughout the country. The Balearic Islands were the region that hosted the most foreign visitors in Spain during August. And it’s also where they spend the most money. The archipelago added 2.4 million international tourists, accounting for 22.4% of the total, leaving 3,560 million euros, up 9.1% on the previous year. There are no surprises in the list of the most successful areas of the market. They are followed by Catalonia, Andalusia, the Valencian Community and the Canary Islands in terms of both participation and jobs.

Is there more data? Yes, INE publishes some extra figures that help understand how the sector is progressing in general, not just in terms of foreign tourism. For example, while there was an 8.3% decrease in travel by Spaniards within Spain in the second quarter, Spaniards increased their trips abroad. A total of 13.6 million travelers stayed in the country’s “accommodations” throughout August; That was up 2.4% from a year ago and the best balance since at least 1999.

Between registrations and protests. These are good figures for Spain, a destination with good potential on the international tourism map. A few months ago, Google and Deloitte presented a report concluding that the country will have the largest influx of tourists on the planet in 2040, ahead of France and the United States.

Specifically, he talks about the 110 million foreign travelers in Spain; this is several million more than the other two destinations in the “TOP3”. The problem is that not everyone is enthusiastic about this scenario. Neighborhood marches have already been organized to protest the effects of mass tourism, especially in major destinations such as Barcelona, ​​Palma de Mallorca or the Canary Islands.

“Let’s change the route”. This was one of the declarations that could be read at one of the protests against the uncontrolled growth of tourism in July. The march in question was held in Palma and, according to the National Police, drew around 12,000 people – organizers claim the turnout was much higher, at 50,000 – and called for “limits on tourism”.

This was not the only mobilization of this kind organized in Spain. A similar march was held in the Balearic Islands in May, and there have been similar initiatives or signs of rejection of mass tourism in other regions, from Barcelona to the Canary Islands, Madrid, Valencia, Seville, Santiago or Cantabria had taken place. It mobilized thousands of people who promised to convert in the “Ibiza of the North”.

So why are they protesting? There may be differences from one situation to another, but in general residents oppose the saturation of cities, the impact of mass tourism on the environment, and the impact on housing, a particularly sensitive area. More and more cities are trying to stop the proliferation of tourist apartments in order to prevent the increase in rental prices.

The City Councils of Madrid, Barcelona, ​​​​Valencia, Santiago de Compostela have more or less already done this… And the list goes on. “People are tired of an economic model that does not take into account the problems tourism creates for residents,” they shouted during the Mallorca march.

beyond spain. This challenge is by no means specific to Spain. At a time when international tourist flows are recovering following the halt of the pandemic, more and more major destinations are deciding to reduce the effects and costs of overcrowding. In Japan, they started charging fees to climb Fuji and restricted access to the geisha district in Kyoto, in Seoul they want to prevent the collapse of the historical center, in Venice they introduced a new tourist tax, Bali and New Zealand rapidly increased their taxes Italy due to tax tourism is threatening to do so, and Amsterdam has put together a comprehensive package of measures against the tourism boom. And again the list grows.

Pictures | Tommie Hansen (Flickr) and Eduardo Pitt (Flickr)

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