In January, Spain recovered 60% of the international tourists it received in 2020

This data was published by the National Statistics Institute (INE).

"The January data confirms that the impact of the omicron variant on tourism was less than expected, although it did slow the pace of the recovery. While waiting to see how the war in Ukraine might affect tourist flows in the coming months, the Government of Spain is already working to find alternatives to a possible absence of Russian tourists this high season in our destinations most exposed to this market, such as Catalonia," said the Minister for Industry, Trade and Tourism, Reyes Maroto.

United Kingdom, main market

Unlike in 2021, this year starts with the UK as the leading source market, thanks to the relaxation of health requirements for travel between the two countries. The 363,150 tourists who visited us in January represent an increase of 1,461.3% over the same month last year.

France and Germany are the next countries with the most tourists visiting Spain. France contributed 347,955 (195.6% more in annual rate) and Germany 282,280 (452.2% more).

Canary Islands, first destination

The Canary Islands is the main arrival destination, with 759,765 international tourists (30.6% of the total), followed by Catalonia, with 463,661 tourists (18.6% of the total) and Andalusia, with 323,896 tourists (13%). Tourists travelling to the Canary Islands are mainly British and German; to Catalonia, French and other European countries; and to Andalusia, British and Dutch.

Greater average spending and longer journeys than before the pandemic

Both the average spending per tourist and the average length of stay of tourists in January exceeded pre-pandemic levels. The average spending per tourist was 1,217 euros compared to 1,155 euros in January 2020. The average length of stay was 9.9 days, up from 8 days two years ago.

Total spending by international tourists visiting Spain in January reached 3.027 billion euros, an increase of 63% compared to January 2020. The UK, Germany and the Nordic countries as a whole represent the leading countries in terms of spending.

The autonomous communities with the greatest weight in tourist spending in December were the Canary Islands (with 37.3% of the total), Catalonia (14.4%) and the Community of Madrid (12.7%).

Non official translation