Spain's Cultural Tourism Soars Returning To Pre-Pandemic Highs
Spain News
Published: 11 October 2023 15:54 CET
New data from Spain's National Institute of Statistics (INE) for 2022 reveals a robust recovery in cultural tourism, surpassing pre-pandemic levels. This resurgence is evident in both Spanish residents and international tourists, as reported by SchengenVisaInfo.com.
The data, collected from the Resident Tourism Survey and the Tourist Expenditure Survey, highlights that Spanish residents allocated 18.6 percent of their travels to cultural activities, while 19.3 percent of international tourists visited Spain with a cultural focus, signifying that cultural interests played a significant role in nearly one-fifth of all trips.
In 2022, Spanish residents made a total of 16.4 million cultural trips, with expenditures exceeding 8.8 billion euros. Additionally, Spain welcomed 11.9 million trips from foreign tourists drawn to cultural experiences, resulting in a total spending of 15 billion euros, approaching the figures from 2019.
Top Ranking Autonomous Communities
The top-ranking Autonomous Communities for cultural travellers were Madrid, Catalonia, Andalusia, and the Valencian Community. Notably, 43 percent of Madrid residents, 41.2 percent of Cantabrians, 40.5 percent of Basques, and 39.9 percent of Riojans exceeded the national average of 34.6 percent concerning the percentage of their population taking trips for cultural reasons.
The data also shows that the average duration of cultural trips by international tourists has increased from 5.8 to 6.1 days since 2019, compared to Spanish residents who have an average period of 4.1 days, only three-tenths less than in 2019.
Further statistics reveal that Catalonia and Madrid led in spending on cultural trips, with 1,727 million euros and 1,654 million euros, respectively. The most popular destinations for cultural tourism among Spanish residents in 2022 were Andalusia (2.7 million trips), followed by Madrid (1.2 million), Castilla y León (1.1 million), and Catalonia (1 million). These regions also topped the revenue charts, with Andalusia generating 930.6 million euros, Madrid 477.7 million euros, Castilla y León 363 million euros, and Catalonia 338.5 million euros.
In terms of accommodation choices, cultural tourists in Spain had various options. Approximately 10.4 million stayed in hotels, with a total expenditure of 6,242.4 million euros (averaging 600.23 euros per trip). Another 2.6 million opted for rented homes, spending 1,335.4 million euros (averaging 513.61 euros per trip). Additionally, 1.3 million stayed with family or friends, spending 327.8 million euros (averaging 252.25 euros per trip), and 198,000 used their own homes, spending 39 million euros (averaging €196.96 per trip).
Moreover, Spanish residents allocated 3,338.9 million euros for cultural trips to Europe and 1,623.5 million euros for cultural experiences on other continents.
Recent research from the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) corroborates the positive trends in Spain's cultural tourism. As reported by SchengenVisaInfo.com in August of this year, WTTC anticipates that the European Union's travel industry will recover to 98 percent of its pre-pandemic levels in 2019, signalling a remarkable resurgence for Spain and the broader European tourism landscape.
Source: Schengen Visa Info
