Spain’s tourism board has announced a massive increase in the number of visitors from the GCC.
Data presented by Turespaña and the National Institute of Statistics shows spending has more than doubled since pre-pandemic figures in 2019 as Gulf visitors are flocking to the European country.
Turespaña said that in 2023 tourists from the region spent €1.138bn ($1.2bn) in Spain, an increase of 64.7 per cent on the year before and 123.7 per cent up on 2019.
UAE and Saudi lead Spain tourism boom
It added that the total number of GCC residents visiting Spain last year was 434,000, an increase of 33 per cent on the year before and 56 per cent up on 2019.
The average duration of a stay is around 8.5 days.
Saudi Arabia has overtaken the UAE as the lead market for Gulf visitors to Spain, with 182,298 tourists last year.
This is a remarkable increase of 92 per cent on just a year before and double the number of visitors in 2019.
The UAE, Qatar and Kuwait are also growing markets for Spanish tourism, with Turespaña highlighting weather and widespread Arab heritage and influence in parts of the country as reasons for popularity.
As it looks to develop tourism links with the Gulf, Spain has established a base in Abu Dhabi UAE.
A Turespaña department in the UAE has held events in Saudi and Kuwait to raise awareness to travel trade partners.
Daniel Rosado, Tourism Councillor in Abu Dhabi, said: “We are delighted with the positive response and engagement we received during our presentations in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates.
“These regions have immense potential. for Spanish tourism, and our collaboration with travel trade partners has strengthened our commitment to providing unforgettable experiences to Middle Eastern travellers.”
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