Expenditure of Foreign Tourists in Spain

Abstract

This study analyses the average expenditure of foreign tourists in Spain in the pre-, during and post-pandemic periods. First, we will discuss the importance of the tourism sector for the Spanish economy, highlighting the relevance of foreign tourism. Then, we analyse the impact that COVID-19 had on this sector, and more specifically on the average daily expenditure per tourist. To do so, we conduct a descriptive analysis in which 5 Autonomous Communities are examined in detail. We consider information on average expenditure per person from tourists coming from six different countries. We find that average daily expenditure fell during the pandemic, although this decline is heterogeneous depending on the Autonomous Community, considered; in some cases it even increased. Once the pandemic was over, tourists spent more again, even surpassing the figures before the pandemic. These results underline the complexity of foreign tourists' spending patterns during periods of economic crisis and subsequent recovery.