MADRID: Officials in Spain say the number of tourists visiting the country has soared by 10 percent in 2016, setting a record figure for the fourth consecutive year as economic concerns and terrorism fears continued to lure visitors away from rival Mediterranean destinations.
Energy and Tourism Minister Alvaro Nadal said Thursday that 75.3 million tourists arrived in Spain last year. Spain, Europe’s most popular destination after France, hosted 68.1 million tourists in 2015.
Britons again topped the list with 17 million visitors in 2016. Tourism represents some 11 percent of Spain’s gross domestic product.
