Sun and beach holidays are a household name in Spain. But every year several places stand out that are popular with the Spaniards and with foreign tourists. The INE designates nine places as favourite top destinations in Spain for 2022 and compares them with before the pandemic.
Family campsites, youth campsites and beautiful villages where you can spend the winter as a real retiree. Spaniards as well as foreign tourists all have their favourite place to spend their holidays in Spain.
INE Spain investigates favourites among holidaymakers
The Institute of Statistics of Spain (INE) conducted research into the places most popular in Spain with domestic and foreign tourists. It also looked at whether anything had changed before and after the pandemic hit Spain.
Favourite Tourist Destinations in Spain
The sun and beach destinations where the most bookings were recorded in July 2022 were Calvià, Benidorm, San Bartolomé de Tirajana, Salou, Adeje, Lloret de Mar, Pájara, Torremolinos and Arona.
In Benidorm, Calvià and Pájara, the number of overnight stays in July 2019 and July 2022 remained virtually the same. Lloret de Mar, Salou and Arona have had to lose some popularity since 2019. In Torremolinos and San Bartolomé de Tirajana, the number of overnight stays has actually increased compared to the same month before the pandemic.
Not every destination favourite among Spaniards
The INE also looked at who these tourist destinations were most popular with. Benidorm was and remains the only top destinations where almost as many Spaniards as foreign tourists spend their holidays. Lloret de Mar, Calvià, Adeje, Arona and Pájara attract only a small proportion of Spaniards and the rest of the tourists come from abroad.
In the month of July there were 42.3 million overnight stays throughout Spain. Compared to July 2021, this is an increase of more than 60%. This figure is only 1.96% below the number of overnight stays recorded in July 2019. The occupancy rate of hotels is virtually the same before and after the pandemic; the average for the whole of Spain is around 70%.
