Spain welcomed 91.5 million international visitors until October, marking an 11.3% increase compared to 2023, according to data released by Turespaña. The report highlights the ongoing diversification of the market, with notable growth in travelers from several Latin American countries, Canada, China, and the United Arab Emirates.
October continued the positive trend of the first nine months of the year, with an 8.5% increase in international air passengers compared to October 2023, reaching 9.8 million.
Of these nearly 9.8 million passengers, the source market of 62.2% of them was the European Union, reflecting an 8% increase. Meanwhile, the remaining international visitors outside the EU rose by 9.1%. Consistent with the trends observed during the first three quarters of the year, October also saw an increase in passenger arrivals to Spain from all major source markets compared to the same month in 2023.
In October, the trend of market diversification continued to strengthen. There was a notable increase in travelers from several regions, including a 22% rise from Brazil and an 18.5% increase from Colombia. Additionally, Canada saw a 21% increase, while travelers from China grew by 67%, and those from the United Arab Emirates increased by 28.6%.
In October, the United Kingdom emerged as a traditional source market for Spain, bringing in 2.1 million international visitors. This accounted for 21.9% of the total arrivals in the country, reflecting a year-on-year increase of 6.3%.
The Canary Islands particularly benefited from the inbound tourism, welcoming 42,000 British passengers this month. Notably, 82.1% of these travelers chose low-cost carriers. The UK led in arrivals via budget airlines, contributing 28.9% of the total, which marks a 6.1% increase compared to the previous year. In contrast, traditional carriers saw a slightly higher increase at 7.1%.
In October, passenger arrivals from Germany reached 1.5 million, accounting for 15.2% of the total, which marks a 9.8% increase compared to October 2023. Many German travelers (42.7%) chose to visit the Balearic Islands. Among these passengers, 46.8% traveled with traditional airlines, making this market the largest for arrivals from Germany, contributing 18.8% to the total and showing a 5.5% increase.
Italy represented 9.8% of the passenger flow in October, with nearly one million travelers and a year-on-year growth of 11.4%. This increase particularly benefited Catalonia and the Community of Madrid, which welcomed 58.2% of Italian travelers together.
Most other Spanish communities also experienced an increase in Italian arrivals compared to the previous year, except for the Balearic Islands. Notably, Andalusia and the Canary Islands saw year-on-year increases of over 25%. Among Italian travelers, low-cost airlines dominated, accounting for 82.3%.
France contributed 7.7% of the total passengers in October, accounting for 748,790 international visitors. This represented a 3.9% increase, mainly benefiting the Community of Madrid and Catalonia, comprising over 49% of arrivals from France.
The rise in Catalonia was especially significant, with 19,985 additional passengers compared to the previous month. Notably, 72.1% of French passengers chose CBC for their flights, reflecting a year-on-year growth of 3.7%.
Additionally, 4.9% of all travelers, just under half a million, originated from the Netherlands. This source market also grew 3.7% in October, with its primary destinations being the Valencian Community, Catalonia, and Andalusia, surpassing 90,000 travelers.
Among the notable increases, Andalusia experienced a remarkable rise of 15.5% in arrivals from the Netherlands. Moreover, 73.8% of travelers from the Netherlands opted for low-cost airlines for their flights, marking a 4.7% increase in this segment.
In October, the six main receiving communities accounted for 97% of total arrivals, with all experiencing increases compared to the previous year. Andalusia saw the most significant year-on-year growth at 11.4%, followed closely by Valencia with a 10.8% rise. The Community of Madrid had a more modest increase of 7.5%, still in single digits.
Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport recorded the highest number of arrivals in October, welcoming 2.09 million passengers. Barcelona Airport followed with 1.82 million and Palma Airport with 1.28 million. The most significant year-on-year increase was at Alicante Airport, which experienced a remarkable 13.8% rise compared to October 2023.