The tourism spending figures for the 2023 total, just released by the Institute of Statistics of the Balearic Islands (Ibestat) they point out that last year’s season as the best ever in the history of Ibiza y Formenteraat least as far as tourist spending is concerned and without taking into account other indicators. If in the first three quarters of the year, up to September, the absolute record for the total of 2022 had already been broken, the last three months, with the season already in decline from mid-October onwards, only confirm what is already known.
In total, tourist spending in Ibiza and Formentera in 2023 as a whole was 4,292 million euros, 20.8 percent more than the absolute record of 2022the year of recovery after the covid pandemic, which was 3,551 million euros. Another pulverized figure, according to Ibestat data: each tourist left in 2023 192.38 euros for each day of stay, by 172.69 in 2022, 11.4 percent more.
In the total of the Balearic archipelago the expenditure last year was 19,980.85 million euros, of which 13,914 correspond to Mallorca, 1,773.57 to Menorca and the aforementioned 4,292.97 to the Pitiusas. In Ibiza and Formentera is where the expenditure per person is higher (192.38 euros per person per day), compared to 153.01 euros on average in Menorca.
Those who spent the most on the islands last year were German tourists, a total of 5,170.48 million euros, 8.7% more than the previous year, while that of the British, the second most important market for the archipelago, grew by 15.23%, standing at 4,282.26 million euros. In 2023, Germans accounted for 25.87% of tourist spending in the Balearic Islands, and the British accounted for another 21.43%.
The Community received during the whole year almost 4.6 million German tourists, about 6.8% more, while the British increased by 10.7%, exceeding 3.7 million. Most of the visitors traveled for leisure, and in the case of the Germans it is worth mentioning that those who traveled to the Islands for work and business fell by 5%.
On the other hand, visitors from other Autonomous Communities, 3.4 million travelers, left in the Balearic Islands a tourist expenditure of 2,258.66 million euros, 6% more than in 2022.
The increase in total spending by Germans in Menorca stands out, 20.7% more than in 2022, and by the British in the Pitiusas, 20.8% more. Meanwhile, spending per person per day of domestic visitors fell by 3.2% in Mallorca.
Tourist packages
Of the total tourism expenditure, 14,928.49 million are non-package tourism expenditures. This type of spending increased by 15.6% in 2023. For German and domestic tourists, package tour spending increased to a greater extent than non-inclusive spending, while for British tourists it was the other way around.
The average stay of German tourists, 6.7 days on average, is a few tenths higher than those of the Spanish (6.3 days) and British (6.4 days), despite the fact that in all cases they were shorter than the previous year – up 4% in the case of the German market.
On the other hand, the Balearic archipelago received 970,970 French travelers, 9.6% more; and the interest of the Italians also increased, with 786,308 travelers, 6.6% more.
On the other hand, the number of tourists from Nordic countries fell by 2.7%, to 588,775 people, although the number of Nordic travelers who traveled to the Islands with a package tour increased.
In its latest executive fact sheet on Germany, Turespaña highlights that, despite the fact that most Germans consider that the general economic situation has worsened, for them vacations “continue to be a consumer good that is not easily renounced, recovering the second place in consumption priority after spending on food, above spending on housing and health”.
4.292 Total tourist spending in Ibiza and Formentera in 2023, in millions of euros
Tourist spending in the Pitiusas approached 4.3 billion euros last year, 20.8 percent more than in the previous year, which had already been the highest in history.
192,3 € Spending per tourist per day in the Pitiusas last year
The average expenditure per person per day during 2023 was 192.3 euros, up from 172, 6 in 2022 and 166.4 in 2019, before the pandemic. It grew by 11.4 percent.
20.8 % British increased spending in Ibiza
The British market continues to be the predominant market in Ibiza and the British spent 20.8% more on the island last year.
According to a survey by the German market research association F.U.R., two thirds of Germans already have concrete travel plans for the next 12 months, and 37% have already decided on their destination for sure. Of these, 17% plan to travel to Spain. Among the decision criteria for German travelers, value for money stands out for the most part (56%).
German tourists who visited Spain traveled mainly for leisure (90%), stayed overnight in hotels (68%) and without organized travel (61%). Tourists with higher education (73%), middle class (60%) and aged between 25 and 44 years (46%) predominated; their preferred activities were the beach (80%), visits to cities (68%) and shopping (52%), according to the same statistics.
The United Kingdom
As for the United Kingdom, the main issuing market for Ibiza, Turespaña highlights the fundamental role played by sun and beach tourism for these visitors, as a “base element that is complemented by other activities or experiences”. “In the United Kingdom, the image of Spain is still maintained at very high levels of consideration”, emphasize from Turespaña, stressing that the British “travel regardless of their economic situation, although this conditions aspects such as the number of trips per year, spending and duration”.
However, the current situation of economic instability in the British country “is causing a very significant loss of purchasing power among the population”, which “is inducing a certain relaxation in this general trend in the current year 2024, except for the Canary Islands, with a very positive behavior”.
Therefore, “it is foreseen that global pre-crisis levels can be reached, but moving to 2025 a possible more effective recovery”.
For the full article, please visit Diario de Ibiza website here.