Spain’s 85.1 million foreign visitors last year set a tourism record

MADRID (AP) — Spain’s National Statistics Institute says a record 85.1 million international tourists visited the country last year, 19% more than the year before. The institute reported on Friday that the number of foreign visitors in 2023 surpassed the 83.5 million who went to Spain in 2019, the year before the COVID-19 pandemic ruled out most leisure travel. The National Statistics Institute says Spain’s income from foreign tourists reached 108.7 billion euros ($117 billion) in 2023, an increase of 25% from the previous year. Tourism accounts for 12% of the country’s gross domestic product. The northeastern region of Catalonia, including Barcelona, followed by the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean and the Canary Islands off North Africa were the top destinations.