Foreign tourism to Spain increases in August, but remains below pre-pandemic level

Foreign tourism to Spain increases in August, but remains below pre-pandemic level
October 4, 2022, 1:10 pm

Spain’s countryside is quaint, speckled with castles, aqueducts, and ancient ruins, but its cities are resoundingly modern - Photo. Pixabay

The number of foreign tourists visiting Spain in August remained well below the 10.12 million who came in August 2019 before pandemic-related travel restrictions ravaged the industry, but their spending approached the levels of three years ago.

Official data from the Statistics Institute INE showed on Tuesday (October 4), tourist numbers increased by 70 percent in August from the same month last year to 8.82 million.

As a result of higher prices, the fewer tourists spent almost as much as in August 2021, 11.26 billion euros ($11.10 billion), down from 11.70 billion in August 2019.

Tourism Minister Reyes Maroto said on state broadcaster TVE: “The spending on tourism is an indicator that measures how we managed to exit the pandemic by strengthening the quality of our tourism industry."

The tourism-dependent Spanish economy had recorded one of the deepest economic contractions in Europe in 2020 and is still struggling to get back to pre-pandemic levels.

Madrid, the capital city of Spain (Photo: Pixabay)

Spain is known for its food, Flamenco music and dance, siesta, bullfights, horses, arts and literature, architecture, a Moorish heritage, its islands, Mediterranean beaches, wines, fruits and vegetables, and football (soccer).

Spain's human pyramid competition returns after pandemic

The country is geographically and culturally diverse.

Spain’s countryside is quaint, speckled with castles, aqueducts, and ancient ruins, but its cities are resoundingly modern.

Climate in Spain's Continental Zone is characterized by hot, dry summers and cold winters

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