Caitlin Quinn
SPAIN has set a new record for international tourists’ spending: a staggering €28.3 billion in the first half of 2015.
That’s a 7.4% increase on the same period of 2014.
The record-breaking spending is led by British tourists, who spent €5.7 billion between January and June, a 9.8% year-on-year increase.
Next up were the Germans, contributing €4.4 billion, followed by the French, with €2.7 billion — a 12.8% increase from the same period of 2014.
Catalunya enjoyed the biggest slice of the pie, with tourists spending €6.4 billion in the northeastern region.
The record-breaking numbers can be attributed to a strong British pound, a recovering Spanish economy, and weakened competition from usual rivals Greece and Tunisia as economic woes and security threats frighten tourists away — and towards the Iberian peninsula.
