ACRONYMS National Statistics Institute
2 April 2024

Total Expenditure Survey

February 2024. Provisional data

Main results

  • The total expenditure of international tourists who visited Spain in February increased by 25.8% and reached 6,747 million euros.
  • The average daily expenditure increased by 5.8% to 173 euros.

The total expenditure of international tourists visiting Spain in February reached 6,747 million euros, an increase of 25.8% when compared with the same month in 2023.

The average expenditure per tourist stood at 1,347 euros, with an annual increase of 8.5%. On the other hand, the average daily expenditure increased by 5.8%, up to 173 euros.

Annual variation rate of total international tourist expenditure. February 2024

Annual variation. Percentage

During the first two months of 2024, the total expenditure by international tourists increased by 25.7%, reaching 13,296 million euros.

Countries of origin

The main countries of origin, in terms of level of expenditure in February were the United Kingdom (with 17.2% of the total), Germany (12.2%) and the Nordic countries (8.7%).

Expenditure by tourists from United Kingdom increased by 36.4% in the annual rate, by those from Germany by 24.8% and by those from Nordic countries by 26.5%.

International tourist expenditure by country of residence. February 2024

During the first two months of 2024, the United Kingdom was the country with the largest cumulative expenditure (16.8% of the total). It was followed by Germany (11.8%) and the Nordic Countries (8.6%).

Expenditure items

The expenditure on international transport (not included in package holidays) was the most important item in February, accounting for 21.6% of the total expenditure and an increase of 25.1% compared with the same month in 2023.

The following items were expenditure on activities and accommodation, which accounted for 21.2% and 17.3% of the total, respectively. The former increased by 18.1% and the latter by 32.7%.

International tourist expenditure by expenditure categories. February 2024

Type of accommodation, method of organization and reason for the trip

57.5% of the total expenditure in February was made by tourists staying overnight at hotels, with an annual rise of 20.6%. On the other hand, expenditure on non-rented accommodation increased by 20.6%.

Expenditure by tourists not travelling with a tourist package increased by 25.6% in the annual rate. For those who contracted a package tour, it increased by 26.3%.

In terms of the reasons for travel, tourists visiting Spain for leisure generated 79.7% of the total expenditure, with a 24.1% higher spend than in February 2023.

International tourist expenditure by main type of accommodation, method of organization and main purpose of the trip. February 2024

(*): Two main groups of accommodation are distinguished according to whether or not there has been a monetary transaction: market (paid accommodation: hotels, rental accommodation, camping, rural house and other market accommodation) or non-market (owned housing, family and friends housing and other non-market accommodation).

Autonomous communities of main destination

The Autonomous Communities of main destination with the greatest proportion of total tourist expenditure in February were Canarias (with 32.3% of the total), Cataluña (16.4%) and Comunidad de Madrid (14.7%). Tourist spending increased by 21.6% in annual rate in the Canary Islands, 17.8% in Catalonia and 36.9% in the Community of Madrid.

International tourist expenditure according to the autonomous community of the main destination. February 2024

During the first two months of 2024, the communities with the highest cumulative expenditure were Canarias (with 31.5% of the total), Cataluña (16.2%) and Comunidad de Madrid (16.2%).

Reviews and update of data

The data published today are provisional and will be revised in March next year. All results of this operation are available on INEBase.

Methodological note

The main objective of the Tourist Expenditure Survey (EGATUR) is to obtain monthly information on the tourist expenditure made by non-residents in Spain in their trips to our country. In preparing it, the international definitions and recommendations of the UNWTO and EUROSTAT in this field are followed.

Type of operation:
continuous monthly statistics.
Population scope:
this refers to non-residents in Spain who enter our country, whether or not they have stayed overnight, as well as those who pass through our country in transit.
Geographical scope:
the entire national territory. The sample is collected at the main access points for non-resident travelers (road, airport, port and rail).
Reference period of the results:
the month.
Sample size:
The theoretical annual sample size of EGATUR exceeds 127,000 surveys, which are distributed throughout the year according to the seasonality of the flow of passengers and to the sample design, which is defined for each access road independently, setting a fraction of the sub-sampling from the FRONTUR sample.
Type of sampling:
Single stage, where the estimates of the FRONTUR survey are used as the target population to which the EGATUR data are elevated.
Collection method:
the information is collected by direct interviews when the traveller leaves Spain, using a multilingual electronic questionnaire. It is important to note that the survey is administered to the visitors when they are leaving the country, so the information collected could refer to a longer period than the reference month.

For more information you can access the methodology and the standardized methodological report.

INE statistics are produced in accordance with the Code of Good Practice for European Statistics. More information in Quality at INE and the Code of Best Practices.

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