Last Updated on 03/09/2024 by Arun jain
British holidaymakers led tourist arrivals to Spain in July Despite widespread opposition against foreign visitors.
Spain received a record 10.9 million visitors in July, up 7.3 percent from July 2023, according to data published on Monday.
The increase, driven by British and German visitors, is expected to boost Spain’s economic growth to 2.4 percent in 2024, significantly above the 0.7 percent expected for the eurozone or Germany’s 0.3 percent.
Data from the National Statistics Institute shows that spending by overseas visitors increased by 18.6 per cent to €71 billion (£60 billion) in the first seven months of 2024.
German tourists increased their spending in Spain by almost 10 per cent to an average of €1,340 (£1,128) per visit, despite Germany’s second-quarter domestic consumption falling by 0.2 per cent.
Britons, who make up one in five visitors to Spain, spent 7.5 per cent more in July, or €1,389 (£1,170) on average.
Statistics suggest that anti-tourism protests have done little to discourage nationalism visits the country.
Protests are planned in Barcelona In the run-up to the America’s Cup weekend, activists claim the sailing race is elitist and offers little benefit to city residents.
Demonstrators plan to form a human chain on Saturday at Somorrostro Beach, one of the primary places to watch the race.
The organization, No to the America’s Cup, said the protest was designed to show the conflict between the popular occupation of beaches and the privatization of venues like the America’s Cup.
There is a recent protest against Impact of mass tourism In Spain this summer.
In July, widely shared footage filmed in Barcelona showed what appeared to be tourists Squirted with a water pistol In popular areas of the city and crowds chanting “tourists go home”.
In August, 80 protesters refused to stop walking at a zebra crossing in the Spanish village of Hio, Galicia, causing long queues.
The protesters were unhappy with the traffic congestion caused by the influx of visitors during the summer months and feared that Beaches were becoming “degraded”..
However, the Anger directed at tourists Not shared by everyone.
In August, residents of Binibeca Vale, a picturesque village on Menorca, voted in a referendum. Reject a total ban on tourists And instead chose to extend the hours they could visit the island.
Pedro Fiol, president of the Association of Balearic Travel Agents, said: “I live here and I want to enjoy this beautiful island, but we all have to make a living and that living, for most people, comes from here. Tourism
“The UK and Germany are the pillars of our tourism industry and we have to make sure they stay strong because we cannot afford to see the industry falter.”
Post A cold shoulder isn’t stopping British tourists from splashing the cash in Spain appeared first The Telegraph.