Spain attracted more than 82 million tourists in 2017

It had been on the cards ever since last Easter’s bumper season, and data from the Spanish Tourism Ministry has confirmed that the country enjoyed a record year in 2017, drawing more than 82 million visitors.

This figure put Spain ahead of the USA in terms of global tourism, and meant that the country was officially the world’s second-most popular destination, after France…

However, some other metrics would put Spain as THE most popular tourist destination, particularly since France counts as tourists those who are merely passing through, such as Britons using the Eurotunnel to get to other parts of the continental mainland.

Nevertheless, Spain’s growth is impressive. In the space of 12 months, the tourism figures rose by 8.9%, and would have been even higher had the Catalan independence crisis not shaken tourism confidence in Barcelona in October.

Average expenditure by tourists in Spain also rose in 2017, up by 1.5% on 2016 – a modest increase, certainly, but in keeping with the wider trend of rising consumer confidence across most of Europe.

As a portion of the nation’s GDP, tourism now accounts for 11.5% of Spain’s economy, meaning it is worth more than €134 billion every year. In 2017, the tourism industry also added 77,501 jobs, which is more than any other sector.

This year, Exceltur, which oversees the tourism sector of Spain, expects growth to continue, albeit at a flatter rate. The organisation is forecasting a 3.3% growth in tourism figures, and attributes the slower growth on the gradual recovery of destinations such as Turkey and Egypt – both of which have been rocked by terrorism in the past couple of years.

“The challenge for the tourism industry now is to ensure sustainable growth with a view to the future,” said José Luis Zoreda, executive vice-president of Exceltur.