Spending by Spaniards on travel reached a record high in 2023, despite rising prices. This is evident from figures from the Spanish Statistical Office (INE). Spanish citizens spent a total of 58.75 billion euros on travel last year, an increase of almost 17% compared to a year earlier. This record expenditure is almost 11 billion euros more than in 2019, the year before the pandemic.
According to the INE figures almost 90% of trips had Spain as the main destination, while 10% of trips went abroad. Travel abroad increased more than domestic travel. In total, nearly 186 million trips were made, still below all-time records, but rising inflation and increases in average travel spending per trip pushed overall spending figures to record highs.
Spaniards made a total of 19.2 million trips abroad. Within Spain, the most popular travel destinations were Andalusia (31.7 million trips), Catalonia (23.7 million) and the Valencia region (18.4 million).
Domestic travel accounted for 80% of overnight stays and almost 68% of total expenditure, with an average daily expenditure of 62 euros. Foreign travel represented 20% of overnight stays and 32% of total expenditure, with an average daily expenditure of 120 euros.
In 2023, the average travel expenditure per person was approximately €316, with an average daily expenditure of approximately €73. The highest average expenditure was recorded in the Balearic Islands (410 euros per person), followed by the Canary Islands (346 euros per person).
These figures indicate that Spaniards were willing to spend more on more luxurious trips and destinations, possibly to compensate for the earlier restrictions during the pandemic.
Tags: Spanish holidaymakers spend record amounts higher prices
