Galicia – Spain | Historic Heights in International Tourism Reached in 2024

Galicia, autonomous community of Spain located in the northwest Iberian Peninsula, a verdant region characterized by steep and rugged promontories with a coast more than 1.500 km long and extends both on the Cantabrian Sea and the Atlantic Ocean highlighted by very different landscapes which include vast beaches, small inlets, islets, rugged cliffs with the presence of the well known "rias" narrow and long inlets that penetrate the coast,  land with a rich historical and cultural heritage with the cathedral of regional capital Santiago de Compostela, which is the reputed burial place of the biblicall apostle Saint James, has reached historic heights as far as international tourism is concerned in 2024.

Data recorded by INE, the Instituto Nacional de Estadistica representing the official government agency in Spain that collects statistic about demography, the economy and Spanish society show that until September of the current year, 2.2 million international visitors stayed in Galicia and spent 3.4 million nights with an increase of 3.5% compared to the same period in 2023.

Both figures represent the highest levels in the historical series for this period all time and this does not affect the cumulative performance, 6.0 million travellers stayed in Galicia from january to September spending just over 11.3 million nights in accommodation establishments and also recording increments of 1.9% and 0.7% respectively.

The tourism sector in Galicia is experiencing continuous and stable growth in 2024, which translates into the large number of visitors and stays achieved from january to september of the current year, acquiring a very important weight in its incoming tourism.

Very interesting data concern the distribution of global demand with 69% staying in the hotel segment divided with 56% in hotels and 13% in guesthouses while 31% preferred other accommodation facilities with 10.9% in hostels, 10.6% in campsites, 5.9% in tourist apartments, 3% in accommodation belonging to the rural tourism category.

Also noteworthy is the increase in the number of nights spent in hotels of 4.3% and in 1.2% in rural tourism establishments.

With these data, it is estimated that the hotel sector achieved total nominal revenues close to €350 million in the nine months of 2024, a figure that exceeds the 2023 figure by 7.2%, as well as the figures of the pre-pandemic period.

In relation to the specific behavior recorded last year in the set of tourist accommodation facilities, Galicia recorded 909.161 travellers who stayed in its territory, a number that represents 2.8% more than in 2023, marking a historic milestone for this indicator exceeding pre - pandemic figures in 2019 by 10.9%.

In the last month, almost three out of four visitors stayed in hotels or guesthouses, followed by hostels, campsites, tourist apartments and accommodation in the rural tourism segment.

With reference to the latter type of accommodation facility, it was the one that recorded the greatest increase in the number of nights in september with an increase of 7.7%

Link - https://www.expreso.info/noticias/espana/103342_galicia_alcanza_niveles_historicos_en_turismo_internacional