Data released by Turespaña on Monday revealed that over 20% of passengers arriving in the Canary Islands from international airports in July were from the United Kingdom.
Spain experienced a 21.6% increase in international passenger arrivals during the first seven months of the year compared to the same period in 2022, totaling 53.49 million passengers. Notably, almost 60% of these arrivals were facilitated by low-cost airlines.
In July, international arrivals in Spain reached 10.3 million passengers, reflecting an 11.5% increase from July 2022. This figure is only 1.62% lower than the best historical record set in July 2019.
Héctor Gómez, the acting Minister of Industry, Trade, and Tourism, emphasized that Spain’s status as a premier destination is supported by these numbers. He highlighted the sector’s robust summer performance marked by record spending and tourist arrivals, as well as a transition towards a quality and sustainable tourism model.
Of the international passengers arriving in Spain by July, 59.5% (31.8 million) chose low-cost airlines, while 40.5% (21.6 million) opted for traditional carriers.
Low-cost airline passengers predominantly hailed from the United Kingdom, Germany, and Italy, whereas traditional airlines saw passengers mainly from Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Geographically, low-cost airlines primarily landed in the Balearic Islands, Catalonia, and the Valencian Community. In contrast, traditional airlines favored Madrid, the Balearic Islands, and Catalonia.
July marked an increase in passengers from all major countries to Spain. European Union passenger flows rose by 11.4%, constituting 56% of the total. Meanwhile, the remaining 44% from the rest of the world also grew by 11.7%.
Comparing figures to the previous year, Poland experienced the highest growth in July at 34.7%, followed by Portugal (23.3%) and Italy (18.8%).
The United Kingdom contributed 24.1% of total July passenger arrivals, reflecting an 8.2% increase from the previous year. This growth significantly impacted the Balearic and Canary Islands, which received 28.7% and 20.1% of these arrivals, respectively.
Passengers from Germany, accounting for 14.2% of total arrivals, increased by 6.6%, with a substantial impact on the Balearic Islands (48.4%).
Italy accounted for 9.3% of July’s passenger arrivals, demonstrating a notable year-on-year growth of 18.8%, especially benefiting Catalonia (27.4%) and Madrid (23.3%).
France contributed 7.8% of July’s total passenger numbers, reflecting a 5.8% expansion, favoring the Balearic Islands (23.4%), Madrid (21.6%), and Catalonia (21%).
Passengers from the Netherlands represented 4.7% of the total and experienced a 15% increase, with Catalonia as the primary destination (22.5%).
The Balearic Islands stood as the community with the highest number of arrivals.
The Balearic Islands led among the autonomous communities with the highest arrivals, recording 23.8% of the total, followed by Catalonia (19.6%) and Madrid (19.4%). The Valencian Community marked the highest year-on-year growth at 16.7%.
Madrid accounted for 35.5% of arrivals on traditional airlines, while Catalonia exhibited the highest increase compared to the same month in 2022 (25.3%).
Regarding low-cost airline traffic, the Balearic Islands stood out with the highest share of arrivals (26.9%), followed by Catalonia (22.4%), and the Valencian Community displayed the highest year-on-year growth at 18.7%.
