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Tourists in Spain are now spending more in the Andalucía region than in Catalonia and this was revealed in a ranking published by the INE national institute of statistics yesterday. According to the data, Andalusian destinations have surpassed the Catalan region in terms of tourism income in March, even though the number of international tourists in Catalonia was higher than in Andalucía during that month.
To compare numbers, Andalucía received 1.6 billion euros, 9.5% more than in March 2024, compared to 1.4 billion in Catalonia. The increase shows a significant improvement in the dynamism of the tourism industry when we recall that the Easter holidays took place in March last year and the Holy Week is a great generator of tourism activity. Yet, this March surpassed last year's figures, even though Easter was in April. For the first time ever, Andalucía is in second place in the ranking, preceded by the Canary Islands and followed by Catalonia and Madrid.
The higher spending in Andalucía is even more remarkable if we take into account that Catalan destinations received a higher volume of tourists than Andalucía. According to statistics, 1,370,270 people visited Catalonia, compared to the 1,055,017 who chose Andalucía. These figures represent 1% and 10% increases in Catalonia and Andalucía, respectively.
1.6
billion euros were spent by tourists who visited Andalucía in March, some 9.5% more than in 2024
In terms of budgets, tourists in Andalucía spent an average of 1,510 euros per person, compared to 1,000 in Catalonia.
Andalucía's regional minister of tourism Arturo Bernal highlighted the income generated by foreign tourists during the first three months of the year: 3.6 billion euro, 8.5% more than in 2024. Andalucía welcomed 2.5 million foreign tourists in the first quarter, 7.4% more. "This is one of the highest increases in the country, exceeding the national average growth, which was 5.7% during those months. This places the region as the third destination in the country for foreign tourists, only behind the Canary Islands and Catalonia."
Bernal focused on specific markets, such as the US, with a rise of 47%; Italy, with 33.6%; or Portugal, with 26.7%. Tourists from the traditional countries of origin of most Andalusian visitors also grew: Germany with 2% and the UK with 2.9%. According to Bernal, these figures confirm the strength and adaptability of the destination, with options in all provinces meeting different demands all throughout the year. The regional minister stated that a priority for Andalucía is to attract "quality visitors, who generate a greater economic impact for the region". In addition, another key action for the Junta is to distribute tourism equally across the region, "for a better sustainable tourism development".
On a national level, "the first quarter of 2025 once again left record figures for spending and visitors in Spain. According to data published by the INE, total spending by foreign tourists reached 23.5 billion euros up to March, representing an increase of 7.2% over the same period in 2024". The number of foreign tourists in Spain in the first quarter of 2025 was 17.1 million, with a growth of 5.7% compared to the same period in 2024. The UK was the country with the highest cumulative expenditure (15.9% of the total), followed by Germany (12.3%) and the Nordic countries (8.8%).
Spain's minister of industry and tourism, Jordi Hereu, said that "this is a clear indication of the change in the tourism model that we want to consolidate in Spain" - one that combines "social, environmental and economic sustainability. This involves decentralising destinations, diversifying experiences and products, de-seasonalising, digitalising and redistributing the benefits in the territories".
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