Spain Poised for Record Tourism in 2024 Following Strong First-Half Growth

In the first half of 2024, Spain experienced a 13% surge in foreign tourists, positioning the country for yet another record-breaking year for visitor numbers, despite growing concerns over the holiday industry’s impact on popular tourist areas. According to Spain’s data agency INE, 42.5 million international visitors arrived in the country from January to June, with June alone seeing a 12% increase to 9 million, signaling the busy summer season. With this momentum, 2024 is set to surpass last year’s record of 85 million tourists, making Spain the second most visited country in the world, trailing only France.

However, residents in top tourist destinations like Mallorca, Barcelona, and the Canary Islands are increasingly worried about the influx of visitors and its effect on housing prices. Protests have erupted, including a recent incident in Barcelona where anti-tourism activists used water pistols on foreign tourists while chanting “tourists go home,” which garnered global media attention.

Tourist spending also rose significantly, totaling 12.3 billion euros in June—up 17% from the same month last year—contributing to economic growth but complicating efforts by the government to balance tourism with local community interests. Rising housing costs in Spain are partly attributed to the surge in holiday rentals through platforms like Airbnb and Booking.com. Data from the report indicates that there has been a 30% increase in tourists opting for rented apartments, while hotel stays rose by 11%.

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