Spain foreign tourist spending rises following solar eclipse

An analysis by BBVA Research indicates that the solar eclipse on August 12 significantly boosted spending by foreign tourists in Spain. Between August 10 and August 16, in-person spending by foreign visitors increased by 13.8% year-on-year.

The impact was most pronounced in provinces where the eclipse reached 100% coverage. In these areas, foreign spending surged by 25.7% compared to the previous year. Soria led this growth with a 220.1% increase, followed by La Rioja at 106.2% and Asturias at 88.7%. Other regions seeing notable rises included Segovia, Teruel, León, and Zaragoza.

In contrast, provinces with lower visibility saw more moderate growth. In areas with 95% to 98% coverage, spending rose by 11.9%, while regions with 80% to 94% coverage saw a 5.7% increase. In territories where visibility was below 80%, the increase was 7.3%, remaining consistent with previous weeks. The data suggests a substitution effect where travelers specifically chose destinations based on the eclipse's visibility.