The largest group of visitors came from the UK, totaling 4.17 million, followed by France with 3.75 million, Germany with 2.49 million, and Italy with 1.35 million; notably, US tourists also increased by 13 percent to 850,000.

Catalonia emerged as the most visited region, attracting nearly 13.8 million visitors, followed by the Balearic Islands with around 11.2 million and the Canary Islands with nearly 9.9 million.

However, the influx of tourists has sparked protests in cities like Barcelona, Malaga, and the Balearic Islands, where residents express concerns over infrastructure strain, pollution, noise, and rising rental prices linked to short-term tourist rentals.

In response to these concerns, Barcelona's mayor announced plans to ban short-term apartment rentals for tourists by 2029.

Tourism Minister Jordi Hereu acknowledged the economic impact of tourism as crucial for Spain's development but emphasized the need for a transformation in the tourism model to address these challenges.

The socialist government is working on establishing a registry for tourist and seasonal lodgings to better manage the sector and mitigate the negative effects of mass tourism.

Looking ahead, Exceltur forecasts that Spain will attract 90 million tourists in 2024, surpassing the previous record of 85.1 million from 2023.

Projected tourism revenue for 2024 is expected to exceed 200 billion euros, further increasing the sector's contribution to the Spanish economy.

Despite the protests, the tourism sector continues to thrive, with officials celebrating the record numbers and the positive economic impact on Spain's well-being.

Spain experienced a remarkable surge in tourism during the summer of 2023, welcoming a record 21.8 million international visitors, which represents a 7.3 percent increase from the previous year.

In total, the country hosted 64.8 million tourists in the first eight months of the year, setting another record and contributing to a significant rise in tourism revenues.

Tourism revenues soared by 17.6 percent, reaching 86.7 billion euros ($95.9 billion), with tourists spending an average of 187 euros per day.