Spain reported on Monday that it received almost nine million passengers through its international airports in August, about 87% of those who arrived in the same month of 2019.
However, rising prices pushed tourist spending to 11.26 billion euros ($11.16 billion), almost double what was recorded at the same time last year and only slightly less than in August. of 2019.
Spain expects tourism revenue to reach 151 billion euros this year, 98% of pre-pandemic levels, when tourism activity earned the country 154 billion euros, according to Exceltur, which brings together the main hotel chains. , travel agencies, tour operators and Spanish airlines.
Visitor numbers to neighboring Portugal in July exceeded pre-pandemic levels for the first time since the end of most COVID-19 restrictions, according to the National Statistics Institute (INE), with 1.8 million arrivals from foreigners that month.
This recovery, plus the impact of inflation, contributed to a 21.6% increase in tax revenue, to €5 billion.
The Italian tourism sector group Assoturismo estimates that 49 million tourists spent at least one night in a hotel during the summer period from June to August, which is still 6.9% less than in 2019.
However, separate data from the tourist industry association Federturismo confirmed the same pattern as elsewhere: Foreign tourist receipts during the period almost returned to their pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels, with a decline of only 0.9% since 2019.
Greece’s Finance Ministry expects tourism receipts to exceed €18 billion this year, up from its 2019 record. Net budget receipts for the first eight months of the year were €39 billion, about €5.6 billion. euros above the target, thanks to higher-than-expected tourism receipts and higher VAT collection.
However, the Conservative government has promised to spend most of the tax windfall on energy subsidies. (1 US dollar = 1.0088 euros).
Source: Ambito
David William is a talented author who has made a name for himself in the world of writing. He is a professional author who writes on a wide range of topics, from general interest to opinion news. David is currently working as a writer at 24 hours worlds where he brings his unique perspective and in-depth research to his articles, making them both informative and engaging.
