Tag Archives: visitor numbers

Spain Tourism

Spain sees record 94mn inbound tourists in 2024

Spain expects even more tourists to flock to the country in 2025 after an estimated record 94 million foreigners visited last year, 10% more than in 2023, Tourism Minister Jordi Hereu said on Wednesday, helping to drive economic growth amid a wider European slowdown, reports Retuers.

Foreign tourists spent some EUR 126 billion during their stays in 2024, up 16% from the previous year, the Minister said. He predicted they would spend EUR 36 billion in the first four months of 2025, also 16% higher than in the same period of 2024, while visitor numbers should rise by 9%.

The tourist boom has become a source of tension in many visitor hotspots around the country, with cities like Barcelona planning to shut all short-term rentals by 2028 to protect locals from rising housing costs.

Hereu said the Spanish government is working on evening out the tourist influx, citing progress in setting rules and limits on the supply of rental accommodation for tourists.

“We need to persevere in deconcentrating tourism, but the good thing is that this is happening,” he told reporters, adding that environmentally sustainable tourism was gaining strength in Spain.

In October last year, the Bank of Spain said in a report that even though most tourism-related indicators were registering consecutive records, their growth was slowing down.

It also warned about tourism-related problems of congestion, natural resource degradation and housing, and called for a study on whether tourism fees should be increased.
(Source: Reuters)

 

Australia has seen a surge in leisure, VFR & MICE movement from India

Tourism Australia, Air India ink 3-year MoU to boost arrivals

Tourism Australia and Air India have signed a three-year marketing agreement to sustain and drive the positive trend in Indian visitor arrivals to Australia as the carrier expands its presence in the market.

Under the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), Tourism Australia and Air India will explore opportunities to jointly undertake and implement marketing activities to showcase Australia’s world-class appeal and drive future growth in visitation.

Phillipa Harrison, Managing Director, of Tourism Australia said, “We have seen tremendous growth in the number of arrivals from India to Australia in recent years and we are keen for arrivals to continue to track in that direction. Tourism Australia’s agreement with Air India highlights our commitment to strengthening partnerships and exploring new ways to encourage Indian travellers to plan and book an Australia holiday. We look forward to working closely with Air India to showcase Australia as a holiday destination.”

Andrew Hogg, Executive General Manager of Eastern Markets and Aviation, Tourism Australia, said, “As one of Australia’s valuable tourism markets, India holds immense promise, and we’re excited to collaborate with Air India to further elevate Australia’s appeal for high-yielding Indian leisure and business travellers. We aim to sustain growth in visitor numbers from India to Australia while enhancing travel experiences and connectivity between the two countries.”

Campbell Wilson, CEO & MD, Air India said, “We are excited to partner with Tourism Australia to facilitate travellers’ experiences of the unique offerings this destination has to offer. As we broaden our network across the globe, we aim to deepen our presence in Australia as well.”

Air India currently operates 17 weekly non-stop flights connecting India and Australia. In the year to August 2024, the airline transported over 170,000 Indian travellers, securing an 18.5% market share and remains one of the largest carriers of traffic from India to Australia.

Japan sees best-ever inbound from India, Germany & Taiwan

More than three million foreigners visited Japan in March, a record for a single month, government data showed Wednesday in a major boost for its tourism sector.

The total of 3.08 million represented an increase of 69.5 per cent from March 2023 and a 11.6-per cent gain compared to March 2019 before the pandemic battered global tourism, the Japan National Tourism Organization said.

“This was the highest single month on record and the first time the number of visitors exceeded three million,” the government agency said.

On top of generally rising tourism demand, factors included the spring cherry blossom season and the Easter break helped boost visitor numbers. Tourists also took advantage of the yen’s slide to a three-decade low.

Record numbers arrived from overseas including from India, Germany, Taiwan and the United States.

Tourism to Japan has been booming since pandemic-era border restrictions were lifted and the government has been working hard to boost visitor numbers.

But this has not been universally welcomed, including in Kyoto where locals have complained of snap-happy tourists harassing the city’s immaculately dressed geisha.

These “women of art” work for a living — as they have for centuries — in teahouses in Kyoto’s picturesque Gion district where they perform traditional Japanese dance, music and games. Come April, local district officials will put up signs that tell tourists to stay out of our private streets. There will also be a fine of 10,000 yen, which comes to about USD 70 under recent currency conversion rates.

This summer, hikers using the most popular route to climb Mount Fuji will be charged USD 13 each, with numbers capped to ease congestion and improve safety.

The mayor of the western metropolis Osaka has also said he is considering charging a new fee to foreign tourists, separate to an existing tax on hotel stays. (Source: ANI)