Industry Minister Reyes Maroto revealed that the number of foreign visitors in Spain is forecast to be record-breaking this summer, which would also be the seventh consecutive year of increases.
As Reuters reports, tourism accounts for much of Spain’s economic success, making up almost 12% of its gross domestic product. It is also the world’s second most visited country, following France.
When speaking at a news conference, Maroto said: “Spain will reach a new record in arrivals of international tourists, exceeding 29.6 million visitors ... half a million more than last summer.”
Furthermore, tourist spending is forecast to break a new record too, growing by 3.2% in the July-September period year-on-year to an approximate 33.9 billion euros.
Spain is currently working to attract new tourists to the country, such as Chinese visitors.
Official data also revealed that in 2018, around 18.5 million visitors from the United Kingdom came to Spain and 11.4 million visited from Germany, while less than one percent of Chinese tourists traveling around the globe were choosing to visit Spain.
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