Spain receives 42.36 mln int'l tourists from January to July

Spain received 42.36 million international tourists from January to July this year, according to data published on Tuesday by Spain's Statistical Office (INE).

The figure is 11.1 percent higher that that of the same period of a year ago and the total number hit a new record high.

The number of British visitors increased by 15.3 percent in the first seven months of the year to reach 10.1 million. They are the biggest group of foreign visitors. The number of German and French visitors reached 6.27 million and 6.1 million, respectively.

The INE also reported that in July alone the country received 9.6 million international tourists, which meant 9.3 percent more than in the same month in 2015.

British tourists visiting Spain increased by 11.4 percent in July to 2.1 million. They were followed by the French whose arrivals reached 1.5 million, an increase of 13.8 percent year-on-year, and the German visitors, whose number reached 1.2 million, an increase of 3.5 percent compared with the same month last year.

Spain's northeastern region of Catalonia was the most popular destination in July and in the first seven months of 2016. The region received 2.4 million tourists in July and more than 10 million from January to July. Endit