Spain says 37.5 million foreign tourists visited in the first half of 2023, up 24% from 2022

Spain says it received 37.5 million international tourists in the first half of the year

Spain Tourism (Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

Spain received 37.5 million international tourists in the first half of 2023, a 24% increase from the same period last year, the government announced Wednesday.

The figure is lower than for the same period in 2019, the year before the COVID-19 pandemic, when 38 million tourists arrived. But officials say the numbers are a sign that international tourism has rebounded strongly since the health crisis.

Visitors from Britain topped the tourist list, totaling some 8 million, followed by some 5 million tourists from both France and Germany.

Spain is heavily dependent on tourism, which accounts for 12% of gross domestic product.

The northeastern region of Catalonia, including Barcelona and the Costa Brava, was the most visited area.