Spain¡¯s tourist sector hits new highs, with record spending in July

Overall, international visitors spent a joint €11.9 billion, which is 16.3% more than in July 2016.

This does not necessarily mean that all the money stayed in Spain. This official survey includes all the travel expenses incurred by inbound tourists, including the plane ticket and the taxi to the airport, for instance.

But all categories showed spending upticks, from lodging to restaurants.

Tourist expenditure by main destination grew in nearly all regions of Spain, most notably in Andalusia and the Balearic Islands

The average duration of the trip was 8.2 days, practically the same amount of time as over the same period last year.

Broken down by nationalities, citizens from Nordic countries spent the most, at an average of €1,255 per trip, followed by German visitors (€1,082) and British tourists (€1,013). Visitors from Latin America and Asia are included in the ¡°Rest of the World¡± category, which shows an average expenditure by tourist of €1,429 ¨C partly because flights from outside Europe are more expensive and partly because these visitors tend to stay longer.

Tourist expenditure by main destination grew in nearly all regions of Spain, most notably in Andalusia and the Balearic Islands.

In terms of how the trip was organized, only package tours showed a 3.8% drop in spending, down to €2.4 billion. Out-of-package expenditures were a global €9.5 billion, a figure that includes transportation, accommodation, food and drink, and activities.

English version by Susana Urra.