Tourism in Spain
Tourism in Spain is a major contributor to national economic life, contributing to about 11.8% of
In 2019, Spain was the second most visited country in the world, recording 83.7 million tourists which marked the seventh consecutive year of record-beating numbers.[3][4][5] Due to the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, only 18.9 million tourists visited Spain. These dramatic figures are devastating for the tourism sector and are a reflection of what will be the worst year for this industry in terms of income ever recorded.[6] However, by 2022 the industry had mostly recovered, with 71,659,281 international tourists and increasing.[7]
Spain ranks first among 140 countries in the biannual Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index published by the World Economic Forum in 2019,[8] matching the top position already achieved in 2017[9] and 2015.[10]
The
According to The Economist 2005 year list, Spain has the world's 10th highest quality of life.[11]
In March 2023, more than 6.5 million international passengers arrived in Spain, marked an growth of 30% compared to 2022.[12]
Arrivals by country
Most visitors arriving to Spain on a short-term basis were from the following countries:[13]
Rank | Country | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | United Kingdom | 17,675,367 | 18,806,776 | 18,502,722 | 18,012,484 |
2 | Germany | 11,414,481 | 11,897,376 | 11,414,481 | 11,158,022 |
3 | France | 11,258,540 | 11,267,269 | 11,343,649 | 11,147,397 |
4 | Italy | 3,969,322 | 4,222,865 | 4,382,503 | 4,534,515 |
5 | Netherlands | 3,355,031 | 3,704,549 | 3,848,545 | 3,684,260 |
6 | United States | 2,001,813 | 2,637,484 | 2,949,710 | 3,324,870 |
7 | Belgium | 2,301,628 | 2,474,720 | 2,500,278 | 2,525,887 |
8 | Portugal | 1,996,164 | 2,137,880 | 2,346,405 | 2,428,790 |
9 | Ireland | 1,808,469 | 2,046,123 | 2,049,272 | 2,177,592 |
10 | Switzerland | 1,703,481 | 2,059,201 | 1,884,783 | 1,811,865 |
11 | Russia | 1,004,577 | 1,150,055 | 1,222,426 | 1,314,078 |
12 | Argentina | 562,680 | 746,498 | 714,774 | 721,697 |
13 | China | 374,755 | 514,777 | 649,032 | 700,748 |
14 | Brazil | 372,759 | 467,508 | 558,674 | 564,854 |
15 | Japan | 463,420 | 444,518 | 550,681 | 677,659 |
16 | Mexico | 370,044 | 450,822 | 499,803 | 597,777 |
17 | South Korea | 312,432 | 446,069 | 490,631 | 630,797 |
18 | Canada | 390,765 | 488,217 | 446,719 | 450,663 |
19 | Israel | 312,573 | 269,264 | 317,696 | 341,773 |
20 | Turkey | 297,625 | 290,280 | 292,949 | 269,557 |
North Europe | 5,129,025 | 5,826,548 | 5,783,558 | 5,530,112 | |
Other Europe | 5,026,962 | 5,543,011 | 5,980,237 | 6,441,423 | |
Total international visitors | 75,315,008 | 81,868,522 | 82,773,156 | 83,509,153 |
Transport
Spain's national airline is
Tourists also arrive in Spain by road, rail and over the water. Spanish
Summer resorts and beaches
This type of tourism was the first to be developed in Spain, and today, generates the most income for the Spanish economy. The mild climate during the whole year and the extensive sandy beaches of the Mediterranean and Atlantic Ocean as well as of its two archipelagoes (the Balearic Islands and the Canary Islands respectively) have been attracting tourists from Northern Europe for decades. The leading source markets of Spanish beach tourism are the UK (around 24% of the total arrivals in Spain in recent years), Germany and France (around 15-16% each), followed by Scandinavia and Italy (around 7% each) and the Netherlands (around 5%).[17][18]
The most popular Spanish mainland coasts are on its Mediterranean side, and include, from north to south clockwise:
- The .
- The Costa Blanca, (one of the most developed coastal areas of Spain, extremely popular for tourists from the United Kingdom and Germany, with Benidorm as the leading summer city of Spain) and the Costa del Azahar are both in the Valencian Community.
- The Costa Cálida in the Region of Murcia and the Mar Menor, a lagoon by the Mediterranean sea.
- The Cádiz province, both destinations for tourists and summer residents with big purchasing power. The city of Málagais a notable Costa del Sol destination and also one of the largest harbours in Spain and frequented by cruise ships.
Spain's two archipelagoes, the Balearic Islands off the mainland coast in the Mediterranean and the volcanic Canary Islands in the Atlantic, are also both very popular destinations with Spaniards and Europeans.
Regions | 2016 (Jan to Aug) millions of visitors[19] |
---|---|
Catalonia inc. Costa Brava, Costa Daurada |
12.58 |
Balearic Islands inc. Majorca, Menorca, Ibiza |
9.65 |
Canary Islands inc. Tenerife, Lanzarote |
8.62 |
Andalusia inc. Costa Almeria, Costa del Sol, Marbella, Malaga |
7.39 |
Valencia inc. Costa Blanca |
5.56 |
In addition to the summer tourism, other modalities like cultural and monumental tourism congresses, sport or fun tourism have been developed in these areas, including such famous cities as Barcelona and Valencia, the biggest harbours of the Spanish Mediterranean coast.
Many coastal or island places also have great ecological and natural importance.
In 2014 Spain broke its own record of
Cultural tourism, business tourism
As a crossroads of several civilisations, Spain offers a number of historical cities and towns. Major destinations include Spain's two largest cities: Madrid and Barcelona, which stand as two of the leading city destinations in Europe. Both offer a matchless number of attractions and their importance in commerce, education, entertainment, media, fashion, science, sports and arts contribute to their status as two of the world's major global cities. Fifteen Spanish cities have been declared World Heritage Cities by the UNESCO:[21]
Student programs
Besides hosting some of the most renowned business schools in the world such as IE Business School, ESADE or IESE Business School, Spain is a popular destination for students from abroad. In particular, during the 2010–11 academic year Spain was the European country receiving the most Erasmus Programme students.[24]
Religion
Spain is an important place for
Festivals
Most festivals turn around patron saints, legends, local customs and folklore. Among the most singular ones stand out the
.The Carnival is also popular all over Spain, but especially in the Canary Islands (Carnival of Santa Cruz de Tenerife) and Cádiz. There are renowned movie festivals all over the country, the most recognizable being the famous
Several cities have hosted international events: the 1888 Barcelona Universal Exposition, the 1929 Barcelona International Exposition, the 1992 Summer Olympics, all in Barcelona, the Universal fair of 1992 in Seville, the 2007 America's Cup in Valencia, and the Expo 2008 in Zaragoza. In addition, some Spanish cities have been or will be European Capital of Culture: Madrid in 1992; Santiago de Compostela in 2000, Salamanca in 2002, and San Sebastián in 2016.
Nightlife
The nightlife in Spain is very attractive to both tourists and locals. Spain is known to have some of the best nightlife in the world. Big cities such as Madrid and Barcelona are favorites amongst the large and popular discothèques. For instance, Madrid is known as the number one party city for clubs such as Pacha and Kapital (seven floors), and Barcelona is famous for Opium and Sutton famous clubs. The discothèques in Spain are open until hours such as 7am. The Baleraric Islands, such as
Ibiza is a relatively small island and its cities have become world-famous for their associations with tourism, nightlife, and the electronic music the island has originated. Ibiza has garnered the reputation as the "Party Capital of the world".[26][28] It is well known for its summer club scene which attracts very large numbers of tourists, but the island's government and the Spanish Tourist Office have controversially been working to promote more family-oriented tourism. Noted clubs include Space, Privilege, Amnesia, Ushuaïa, Pacha, DC10, Eden, and Es Paradis. Ibiza is also home to the legendary "port" in Ibiza Town, a popular stop for many tourists and now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.[29]
Majorca or Mallorca[30] is an island located in the Mediterranean Sea. It is the largest island in the Balearic Islands archipelago, in Spain.
The capital of the island,
Like the other Balearic Islands of Menorca, Ibiza, and Formentera, the island is an extremely popular holiday destination, particularly for tourists from Germany, Ireland, Poland, the Scandinavian countries, and the United Kingdom. The name derives from Latin insula maior, "larger island"; later Maiorica, "the larger one" in comparison to Menorca, "the smaller one".
Winter tourism
Spain is a generally mountainous country, with well-known
Sierra Nevada in Spain is a popular tourist destination, as its high peaks make skiing possible in one of Europe's most southerly ski resorts, in an area along the Mediterranean Sea predominantly known for its warm temperatures and abundant sunshine. At its foothills is found the city of Granada and, a little further, Almería and Málaga.
Parts of the range have been included in the
Nature and rural tourism
Spain is the second largest country in the European Union. Its latitude puts part of the country in direct contact with the typical southern end of the Atlantic polar jet. Hence, Spain's geographical position allows for Atlantic fronts typically affecting its western and northern part whereas a Mediterranean influenced climate is generally prevalent in its eastern and southern parts, with transition climates linking both main bioclimatic regions. Additionally the presence of several mountain ranges ultimately shape the diverse landscape of Spain. Another remarkable feature of the country is its vast coast, as a result of being in a Peninsula; moreover, there is the coast of the two Spanish archipelagos: the Balearic Islands and the Canary Islands.
To date, Spain has a total of 15 National Parks, of which 10 are on the mainland, 1 in the Balearic Islands and 4 in the Canary Islands. Spain's most visited National Park is the Teide National Park in the Canary Islands, with 3,142,148 visitors in 2007 and crowned with the third largest Volcano in the world from its base, the Teide, with 3,718 meters above the sea level (also the highest point in Spain). The Teide also has the distinction of being the most visited national park in Europe and second in the world.[33]
On top of that, by 2016 Spain is home to 48
Art and culture
Museums in Madrid
Madrid is considered one of the top European destinations concerning art museums. Best known is the
The
The
The
The
The
The
The
The
The Naval Museum is managed by the Ministry of Defence. The Museum's mission is to acquire, preserve, investigate, report and display for study, education and contemplation, parts, sets and collections of historical, artistic, scientific and technical related to naval activity in order to disseminate the story sea of Spain; to help illustrate, highlight and preserve their traditions and promote national maritime awareness.
The
The
Apart from paintings and sculptures it displays 10th-century Byzantine enamel; Arab and Byzantine ivory chests; Hellenistic, Roman, medieval, renaissance, baroque and romantic jewelry;
The Museo Nacional de Artes Decorativas (National Museum of Decorative Arts) is one of the oldest museums in the city. It illustrates the evolution of the called "minor arts" (furniture, ceramics and glass, textile, etc.). Its 60 rooms expones 15,000 objects, of the approximate 40,000 which it has.[46]
The Museo Nacional del Romanticismo (National Museum of Romanticism) contains a large collection of artefacts and art, focusing on daily life and customs of the 19th century, with special attention to the aesthetics about Romanticism.[47]
The Museo Cerralbo houses a private collection of ancient works of art, artifacts and other antiquities collected by Enrique de Aguilera y Gamboa, XVII Cerralbo Marquis.[48]
The National Museum of Anthropology provides an overview of the different cultures in the world, with objects and human remains from around the world, highlighting a Guanche mummy of the island of Tenerife.[49]
The Museo Sorolla is located in the building in which the Valencian Impressionist painter had his home and workshop. The collection includes, in addition to numerous works of Joaquín Sorolla, a large number of objects that possessed the artist, including sculptures by Auguste Rodin.[50]
CaixaForum Madrid is a post-modern art gallery in the centre of Madrid. It is sponsored by the Catalan-Balearic bank la Caixa and located next to the Salón del Prado. Although the CaixaForum is a modern building, it also exhibits retrospectives of artists from earlier time periods and has evolved into one of the most visited museums in Madrid. It was constructed by the Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron from 2001 to 2007, which combined an old unused industrial building and hollowed it out at the base and inside and placed on top further floors which are encased with rusted steel. Next to it is an art installation of green plants growing on the wall of the neighbouring house by French botanist Patrick Blanc. The red of the top floors with the green of the wall next to it form a contrast. The green is in reflection of the neighbouring Royal Botanical Gardens.
Other art galleries and museums in Madrid include:
- Royal Palace of Madrid[40]
- Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando[38][51]
- National Archaeological Museum of Spain[41]
- Museum of the Americas[42]
- National Museum of Natural Sciences[43]
- Liria Palace
- Naval Museum[52]
- Spanish Air Force Museum[53]
- Monastery of Las Descalzas Reales[44]
- Museum of Lázaro Galdiano[45]
- Royal Palace of El Pardo[54]
- Railway Museum[55]
- Museum Sorolla[50]
- CaixaForum Madrid[56]
Museums in Barcelona
This is a list of museums in Barcelona (Catalonia) and in its surrounding metropolitan area.
- Archaeology Museum of Barcelona (MAC)
- Museu d'Art Contemporani de Barcelona (MACBA)
- Museu del Modernisme Català MMCAT
- CaixaForum Barcelona
- Casa Àsia
- Centre d'Art Santa Mònica (CASM)
- Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona (CCCB)
- Cosmocaixa Barcelona(former Museu de la Ciència de Barcelona)
- Espai Gaudí (La Pedrera)
- Fundació Antoni Tàpies
- Olympic and Sports Museum Joan Antoni Samaranch
- Fundació Joan Miró
- Fundació Suñol
- FC Barcelona Museum
- Gracia Arts Project
- Royal Palace of Pedralbes
- Moco Museum Barcelona
- Museu d'Autòmates
- Museu Barbier-Mueller d'Art Precolombí
- Museu del Calçat
- Museu de Cera de Barcelona
- Museum of Natural Sciences of Barcelona
- Museum of Natural Sciences of Barcelona (the main exhibition site, at the Forum Building)
- Martorell Museum (the historical site where the Museum of Natural Sciences of Barcelona was founded in 1882, but contained the Geology Museum from 1924 to 2010)
- Laboratori de Natura , at the Castle of the Three Dragons (from 1920 to 2010: Zoology Museum)
- Botanical garden of Barcelona
- Historical Botanical Garden of Barcelona
- Museu del Clavegueram
- Museu del Còmic i la Il·lustració
- Museu Egipci de Barcelona
- Museu de l'Eròtica de Barcelona
- Museu Etnològic de Barcelona
- Museu Frederic Marès
- Museu Gaudí
- Museu d'Història de Catalunya
- Museu d'Història de la Ciutat
- Museu Marítim
- Museu Militar de Barcelona (closed May 2009)
- Museu de la Música de Barcelona
- National Art Museum of Catalonia (MNAC)
- Museu del Perfum - Fundació Planas Giralt
- Museu Picasso
- Museu Taurí
- Museu de la Xocolata
- Palau de la Virreina
- Palau Robert
- Sala Ciutat
- Sagrada Familia
Other major museums in Spain
- Bilbao Fine Arts Museum[57]
- Carmen Thyssen Museum in Málaga
- Valencia
- Dalí Theatre and Museum in Figueres
- Guggenheim Museum Bilbao
- IVAM(Valencia)
- Museo Picasso Málaga
- Centro Pompidou Málaga
- Museu de Belles Arts de València
- National Museum of Sculpture in Valladolid
- Museum of Fine Arts of Seville
Impact of COVID-19
In early 2020, the country halted its tourism industry following the spread of COVID-19. Spain reopened to fully vaccinated travellers from around the world on 7 June 2021; however, due to the relatively late announcement of the reopening, the initial increase in visitors was gradual.[58]
See also
References
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External links
- Spanish Tourism Official Website in English
- Tourism in Catalonia
- Media related to Tourism in Spain at Wikimedia Commons
- Spain Tourist Visa UK