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Date Published: 04/03/2025

Murcia's campsites break records as international visitors drive tourism boom

Overnight stays have soared to historic highs as foreign tourists flock to the Region

Murcia’s campsites are thriving, with January 2025 marking a record-breaking month for overnight stays. According to data from the National Institute of Statistics (INE), the Region’s campsites hosted 8,838 travellers, with international visitors making up a significant 73% (6,517 people). This represents a small increase of 42 travellers compared to the same period last year but sets a new record for January.

The total number of overnight stays reached an impressive 159,609 (27,737 more than in January 2024). This strong performance is largely driven by foreign tourists, who accounted for 89% of all stays. Murcia now boasts the longest average stay in Spain at 18.06 days, significantly surpassing the national average and outpacing the next closest region, the Valencian Community, where the average stay was 12.87 days.

Currently, Murcia has 19 open campsites offering a total capacity of 16,360 places. Weekend occupancy stood at 54.09%, well above the national average of 45.06%. The sector also remains a crucial source of employment, with 217 workers employed in these establishments.

The region’s success in attracting campers continues a strong trend from last year. In 2024, Murcia’s campsites welcomed 182,326 travellers – 6.1% more than in 2023 – while overnight stays reached a record-breaking 1,384,726, reflecting a 5.5% increase.

The popularity of Murcia’s campsites is largely driven by foreign visitors, particularly from the UK, Germany, France and the Netherlands, a trend that has only grown stronger in early 2025.

While camping flourished, rural tourism had a more modest performance. In January, occupancy in rural accommodation was 9.12%, slightly below the Spanish average of 9.53%. A total of 2,993 travellers chose rural stays, with Spanish residents making up the majority (2,744), while just 249 were foreign visitors. The average stay was 2.30 days, slightly above the national figure of 2.27 days. Across Murcia, 219 rural accommodations were open, offering 2,435 places, with a total of 6,893 overnight stays recorded.

Tourist apartments, however, faced greater challenges. The average stay was 5.08 days – below the national average of 6.19 days – while weekend occupancy was just 20.59%, far lower than the Spanish average of 57.04%. In total, 3,110 travellers stayed in tourist apartments in January, including 575 foreigners, with overnight stays totalling 15,809. Murcia had 1,610 tourist apartments open, offering 6,984 places.

As Murcia’s tourism industry moves forward in 2025, its campsites remain a key driver of growth, attracting long-stay visitors and setting new records for the region.

Image: Egor Komarov/Pexels

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