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Spain is the second most visited country in the world after France. ''Spain's tourism sector is expected to post record revenues again in 2024,'' the Exceltur Tourism Association said on Tuesday, adding it was concerned at growing anger in the country against overtourism.
The tourism sector is also getting a boost from the increase in air links as well as the arrival of new rail operators which has boosted competition and driven down the price of high-speed rail travel leading to higher domestic tourism.
''We predicted tourism earnings will reach 202.65 billion euros ($215.4 billion) this year, an 8.6 percent increase over the record set in 2023 which had already seen a spectacular rate of growth, '' Exceltur vice president Jose Luis Zoreda told a news conference. ''If confirmed, it will be the first time that tourism earnings in Spain -- the world's second most visited country after France -- will surpass 200 billion euros, '' he added.
Spain welcomed a record 85.1 million foreign visitors last year, mainly from Britain, France and Germany, according to National Statistics Institute INE. The surge in visitor numbers has sparked a backlash from locals in tourism hotspots such as the Balearic Islands, the Canary Islands and Malaga.
Anti-tourism movements are multiplying in Spain, the world's second most visited country, prompting authorities to try and reconcile the interests of locals and the lucrative sector. Rallying under the slogan "The Canaries have a limit", a collective of groups on the archipelago off northwest Africa are planning a slew of protests.
"There are tourist destinations that are at the limits of their capacity," said Jose Luis Zoreda, the vice president of tourism association Exceltur .
Housing Minister Isabel Rodriguez said over the weekend that "action needs to be taken to limit the number of tourist flats" but stressed the government is "aware of the importance of the tourist sector", which accounts for 12.8 percent of Spain's Gross Domestic Product.
By Lewis Musonye
