Tourexpi
Spain received 7.1 million international air
passengers in February, marking a year-on-year increase of 5.2%, according to
the latest data published by Turespaña. Growth was particularly strong from
long-haul markets, with arrivals from the Americas rising by 8.4% and Asia
recording a sharp increase of 18.5%, while European traffic grew by 3.9%.
Broad-based growth with notable exceptions
Passenger arrivals increased from all major source
markets except Germany and the Netherlands. Poland stood out with double-digit
growth, while Ireland and the United States continued their positive upward
trend.
In terms of market diversification, countries such as
the United Arab Emirates, China and Brazil showed both strong volumes and
significant growth, highlighting their increasing relevance for Spain’s inbound
tourism.
United Kingdom remains leading source market
The United Kingdom remained Spain’s largest source
market in February, accounting for around 1.3 million passengers, or 19% of
total arrivals. This represents a year-on-year increase of 3.5%. The Canary
Islands were the main destination, attracting 40.2% of UK arrivals, followed by
the Valencian Community and Andalusia. The Madrid region also recorded a
notable increase of more than 18,000 additional passengers.
Mixed performance among European markets
Germany contributed 0.8 million passengers,
representing 11.8% of total arrivals, but recorded a decline of 1.7% compared
to the previous year. The decrease mainly affected the Canary Islands and
Madrid. The Canary Islands remained the primary destination for German
travellers, followed by the Balearic Islands and Catalonia.
Italy showed strong growth, with 772,296 passengers
and an increase of 7.4%. Madrid and Catalonia together accounted for nearly 60%
of these arrivals, while Valencia saw a significant rise of 18.7%.
France accounted for 7.4% of total arrivals and grew
by 1.6%. Madrid and Catalonia remained the main destinations. The Netherlands,
representing 4.4% of arrivals, declined by 4.7%, with most regions affected
except the Canary Islands, which saw a modest increase.
Madrid leads regional growth
The six main autonomous communities accounted for
97.7% of total arrivals in February. All recorded growth except the Balearic
Islands. Madrid posted the strongest increase at 7.9%, while the Canary Islands
saw the most moderate growth at 2.1%.
Madrid-Barajas remains the busiest airport
Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport handled the
highest number of passengers, with 1.9 million arrivals, up 7.9% year-on-year.
Among Spain’s airports, Seville recorded the strongest growth, with an increase
of 11.8%.
Image
Credit: © AA
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