The world’s second-most visited country got even more popular in 2024, with Spain’s tourism minister announcing that a record 94 million international travellers visited last year, making it the best year for tourism in the country since records started.

It was Spain’s second record-breaking year since 2019. The surge in arrivals comes at a time when a housing crisis in Spain has put tourist accommodation in the spotlight.

Spain ranks as the second most popular destination globally, after France, on the UN World Tourism Barometer.

The number of foreign visitors in 2024 improved by 10% on the mark set in 2023, when 83.5 million people visited the country, Industry and Tourism Minister Jordi Hereu said.

Spain is one of the most popular sun and beach destinations, but 32% more travellers said they visited the country last year for cultural reasons and culinary travel increased by 28%, compared to 2019, according to the Tourism Ministry.

Travel outside of the summer months and a rise in popularity of inland destinations – beyond Barcelona, the Mediterranean and Canary islands – have been keys to the new mark, the ministry said. Besides its traditional European market, the Spanish tourism sector has recorded an increase in visitors from North America, Latin America and Asia.

Many countries have set new tourism records following the COVID-19 pandemic. Overall, international arrivals have reached 98% of 2019 levels in January-September 2024, according to the UN barometer.

If this article was shared with you by a friend or colleague, you may enjoy receiving your own copy of Travel Industry Today with the latest travel news and reviews each weekday morning.  It’s absolutely free – just CLICK HERE.