Spain: 36.3 million foreign visitors so far

MADRID, Spain – Spain has received a total of 36.3 million of international tourists up to July according to data published on Friday by the Spanish Ministry of Industry, Energy and Tourism.

The figure meant a 7 percent increase in comparison with the first seven months in 2013, while in July alone the country received 8.3 million of international tourists which accounted for 23 percent of the total number of international arrivals from January to July.

Arrivals from Britain reached 8.4 million in the first seven months of the year, meaning a 5.5 percent increase in comparison with a year ago. They represented 23.3 percent of the total.

The British were followed by the Germans and the French. A total of 5.8 million of Germans arrived in Spain from January to July, which meant a 6.6 percent increase, while a total of 5.6 million of French visitors arrived from France meaning a 10.8 percent increase.

Tourists arriving from Russia and the United States however decreased by 3.8 percent and 5.5 percent respectively in the first seven months of the year.

The northeastern region of Catalonia was chosen as the main destination, receiving 9.2 million of international tourists that accounted for 25.6 percent of the total.

It was followed by the archipelagos of the Canary Islands and the Balearic Islands that received 6.5 million and 6.2 million tourists respectively.

Jose Manuel Soria, minister of industry, energy and tourism, forecast that August would be a very good month for tourism in Spain as preliminary data owned by the Ministry exceeded predictions.

The Spanish government and the tourist sector expect that Spain will receive around 64 million of international tourists in 2014, after hitting a record high in 2013 with 60.6 million of international visitors.