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Spain Registered Over 6.5 Million International Passengers in March, 30% More Than in 2022
Commenting on these data, the Minister of Industry, Commerce and Tourism, Héctor Gómez, said that the figures reached in March show that Spanish tourism, in the first quarter of the year, was on the right track to exceed post-pandemic levels, AtoZSerwisPlus.com reports.
During this period, the largest number of passengers arriving in Spain came from the European Union with 55.6 per cent, an increase of 25 per cent, while the flow from the rest of the world, which accounted for the remaining 44.4 per cent, increased by 35.7 per cent.
Portugal & USA Saw Largest Increase in Number of Passengers in March 2023
Compared to last year’s figures, the markets that recorded the highest growth this year are Portugal, with 63.2 per cent more, followed by the United States and Ireland, with 42.9 per cent and 38.9 per cent, respectively.
In addition, the top market country of passengers in March was the United Kingdom (1,426,007), with an annual increase of 33.3 per cent. At the same time, the UK represented 21.9 per cent of the total share of arrivals.
Spain has registered 3.4 million British passengers so far this year, and this has affected all Spanish autonomous communities, especially the Canary Islands, which was the destination of 35.7 per cent of its passengers.
The second country of origin for international passengers remains Germany, where only in March a total of 873,738 passengers or 13.4 per cent of the total, arrived in Spain. This represents an increase of 19 per cent, from which the Canary Islands benefited mainly with 31 per cent of the total.
Third is Italy with 9.1 per cent of the passenger flow received in March in Spain or 592,207 passengers in total. Italy also recorded a year-on-year increase of 31.4 per cent, from which Catalonia (32.1 per cent of passengers) and Madrid (32.0 per cent) benefited most.
In March 2023, France also was a source for 7.4 per cent of all passengers, marking an increase of 19.0 per cent, which mainly favoured Madrid and Catalonia. At the same time, the Netherlands also recorded a 10.2 per cent increase in international passengers, with the Community of Valencia, Catalonia and Andalusia as the main destinations.
Madrid Is Community With Most International Arrivals Last Month
The Spanish community that registered the most arrivals during the last month was Madrid, with 27.2 per cent of the total, followed by Catalonia with 20.8 per cent and the Canary Islands with 20.2 per cent.
Meanwhile, of the six main ones, Catalonia was the one that recorded the highest year-on-year growth with 42.6 per cent, followed by Madrid with 36.7 per cent and Valencia with 28.2 per cent.
Based on the increase in the number of passengers through the airports, Barcelona experienced the largest year-on-year increase of 43 per cent compared to March 2022, followed by Adolfo Suarez Madrid-Barajas with an increase of 36.7 per cent.
Meanwhile, in total volume, Barajas added 1,770,313 international passengers in March, compared to 1,332,585 from Barcelona airport and in third place is Malaga, with 596,951 international passengers in March this year.
58.1 per cent of passengers arriving in Spain during the last month chose low-cost carriers (CBC) to travel, an increase of 31.0 per cent. The remaining 41.9 per cent of them travelled with traditional companies, with an increase of 28.6 per cent.