One of the most outstanding data is the year-on-year variation of foreign visitors in Madrid, which reached 887.5%. "The city served as a cushion after the fall of 2020," said the Councilor for Tourism, Almudena Maíllo.
The data for the month of October confirm the upward trend of tourism in Madrid, this time with more strength than in previous months, with a year-on-year increase of 570% of travelers and a rise in overnight stays of 515% compared to 2020.
This follows the data published by the National Statistics Institute (INE, in Spanish), where the number of tourists staying in hotels in the city last October was 694,379.
The year-on-year variation in the number of travelers implies a significant growth in Madrid and is more than double the national average, which is 236% and is also above the regional growth, which was 394.4%.
One of the most outstanding data is the year-on-year variation of foreigners, which reaches 887.5%, despite the fact that some borders are still closed, while the variation of travelers residing in Spain is 439.9%, which "shows the growing international interest in the capital," according to the Councilor delegate of Tourism, Almudena Maíllo.
Figures Like in 2019
Maíllo pointed out the positive trend of sustained growth in tourism in Madrid over the last few months in the city and considered that the most encouraging fact is that the number of travelers lost compared to 2019 is becoming less and less. Compared to October 2019, Madrid recorded a decrease of 24.3%, compared to 33.1% in September, 48.1% in August and 54% in July, which shows that "the city is cushioning the fall in tourists and approaching the 2019 visitor figures".
In the cumulative data of the last twelve months, the total number of travelers in the city is estimated at 3,614,997, representing a year-on-year decline of 8.4%, a variation 28.1 points higher than a month earlier. During the same period, Spain recorded a decline of 68%.
The number of nights travelers stayed in Madrid was 1.5 million, representing a year-on-year variation of 515.5%, although still a decrease of -22.5% compared to October 2019 and 15% less than the figures registered in the month of September (-37.5%).
The interannual growth of overnight stays in Madrid in October was also higher than that registered by the Community of Madrid (381.4%) and by Spain as a whole (179.8%). The year-on-year increase in overnight stays by Spanish tourists was 400%, while that of foreign tourists was 696.4%.
72.3% More Hotel Beds
During the last twelve months, it is estimated that travelers spent a total of 7,502,983 nights in the capital, 11.5% fewer than a year earlier, therefore, a variation 26.9 points higher than in September.
Another noteworthy fact is that the average stay is already practically at 2019 levels and reaches 2.15 nights per traveler, which is equivalent to 0.19 nights fewer than a year earlier. The average stay of national travelers has been 1.85 nights and that of visitors from outside Spain has been 2.55 nights.
Regarding the hotel beds, they increased in number by 72.3% compared to a year ago, although they are still 3.9% below October 2019. The establishments open in October increased by 77 compared to the same month last year, up to 607. Available beds also grew by 72.3% year-on-year reaching 85,258, although they are still 3.9% below October 2019.
Travel Vouchers for Spanish Visitors
In order to reactivate tourism in the region, the Community of Madrid has launched new tourist vouchers to attract more domestic visitors. A voucher of up to 600 euros is granted to all citizens who have Spanish nationality or legal residence in Spanish territory and use tourist and cultural products and services in the Community of Madrid. The voucher will pay for 50% of the cost of tourist activities or accommodation provided by agencies or companies whose registered office is in the Community of Madrid. The voucher is valid until May 15.