Impact of COVID-19 on tourism in Spain
The impressive performance of the tourism sector in Spain also meant a dramatic collapse when the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic arrived. At the onset of the global crisis, international inbound tourism in the Spanish territory came to a halt for two months, and it remained significantly below pre-pandemic levels throughout 2020 and 2021. For instance, in August of 2020 – which is usually the most active month for tourism in the country – Spain lost nearly 10.8 million international visitors versus August of 2019. By the same month of 2021, the difference was still at 7.6 million tourists. On a similar note, the trips taken by Spanish residents went down strikingly in 2020 and despite the recovery in 2021, it remained over 25 percent below 2019.Who visits Spain the most?
The international recognition of Spain as an attractive tourist destination has drawn visitors from all around the world. However, the France, and Germany, and the United Kingdom have topped the list of leading source markets for tourism in Spain for several years. And despite the COVID-19 crisis, these countries remained at the head of the list as of 2021. These three European nations accounted for over 15 million foreign tourists that year, or approximately 30 percent of the total international tourism volume in the Iberian country in those twelve months. From outside Europe, the United States and Mexico were the most popular countries of origin among foreign visitors in Spain in 2021.
