STORY: Spain sets record with 94 mln int'l tourists in 2024: minister
SHOOTING TIME: Jan. 16, 2025/file
DATELINE: Jan. 17, 2025
LENGTH: 00:01:29
LOCATION: Madrid
CATEGORY: ECONOMY

SHOTLIST:
1. various of tourists in Barcelona (file)
2. various of press conference
3. various of tourists (file)
4. SOUNDBITE (Spanish): JORDI HEREU, Spain's Minister of Industry and Tourism
5. various of tourists (file)

STORYLINE:

Spain welcomed a record-breaking 94 million international tourists in 2024, surpassing the previous high of 85 million in 2023 by 10 percent, a senior tourism official said Wednesday.

Speaking at a press conference, Spain's Minister of Industry and Tourism Jordi Hereu highlighted that tourist spending increased by 16 percent to 126 billion euros (129.78 billion U.S. dollars), reflecting the growing economic impact of the sector.

The minister noted significant growth in off-season tourism, with international arrivals outside the summer peak season rising by over 10 percent. Visits linked to cultural, gastronomic, and inland destinations grew by 12.9 percent, diversifying beyond Spain's traditional coastal hotspots.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish): JORDI HEREU, Spain's Minister of Industry and Tourism
"Spain follows the path of quantitative progress in tourism and this forces us to persevere in the line of qualitative growth in which the concept of quality is fundamental."

Tourism remains a cornerstone of Spain's economy, employing 2.6 million people at the end of 2024, equivalent to 12.7 percent of all jobs in the country.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Madrid.
(XHTV)