Foreign tourists in Spain spend more

Foreign tourists visiting Spain between January and September spent 45.1 billion euros (Dh214.6 billion), some 7.2 per cent more than in the same period of 2011, authorities said on Monday. In September alone, international tourists spent 6.24 billion euros, about 13.4 per cent more than in the same month of 2011, thanks to a 51 per cent surge in the number of arrivals and a 7.8 per cent rise in the average expenditure per person. Spain welcomed 3.8 per cent more foreign tourists — some 47 million — in the first nine months of this year, said the Industry, Energy and Tourism Ministry. Britain and Germany were the chief sources of foreign visitors, both in September and for the year to date, while the Balearic Islands and Catalonia on the Mediterranean coast were the areas that benefited most from the increased spending. The Balearic Islands accounted for close to 27 per cent of foreign tourists’ expenditures in Spain for the month of September. Vacationing was the reason for the trips in which spending showed the biggest hike, up 16.5 per cent, compared with a downturn in outlay on business trips. From: Gulf News