Spain receives 58.3m international tourists in first 10 months

Spain received a total of 58.3 million of international tourists in the first 10 months of the year, according to data unveiled on Friday by the Spanish Ministry of Industry, Energy and Tourism.
The figure meant a 7.5 percent increase in comparison with the first 10 months in 2013, while in October alone the country received 5.9 million of international tourists, a 7.8 percent more than in the same month of a year earlier.
Arrivals from Britain reached 13.8 million in the first 10 months of 2014, which meant a 5.6 percent increase when compared with the same period of a year earlier. Tourists from Britain accounted for 23.6 percent of the total.
The British were followed by the French. They accounted for 16.3 percent of the total number of arrivals with 9.5 million of tourists, which meant an 11.8 percent increase in comparison with the first 10 months in 2013.
German visitors were third with 9.4 million of arrivals in the first 10 months of the year. The figure meant a 6.2 percent increase year-on-year.
The northeastern region of Catalonia was chosen as main destination in the first 10 months of the year, receiving 15 million of tourists, which accounted for 25.7 percent of the total.
The archipelagos of the Balearic Islands and the Canary Islands were the tourists' second and third choices. They received 11.1 million and 9.4 million of international tourists respectively.
Spain expects to hit a record high this year regarding the number of international arrivals, surpassing the 60.66 million of international tourists registered in 2013.