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Foreign tourists arriving in Spain numbered 52.2 million in 2009, a decrease of 8.7 percent from the year before, authorities said.
Nonetheless, according to a survey taken by the industry, tourism and trade ministry’s Institute of Tourism Studies, the decline in the number of tourists tapered off as the year 2009 progressed.
Spain received 2.7 million foreign tourists last month, a reduction of 3.6 percent compared to December 2008.
The principal source country for tourists was Britain, with a total of 13.3 million travellers, 15.5 percent less than in 2008 because of the economic crisis and the depreciation of the pound with respect to the euro.
Britain was followed by Germany, with close to 9 million tourists, or 11.3 percent less than in 2008.
The number of French visitors to Spain last year was 8 million, just 2.9 percent less than in 2008.
The survey also highlighted the growing number of visitors from the US and Latin America.
–IANS/EFE
