Region of Murcia has a record year for tourism in 2023

For the first time, the Region of Murcia surpasses the barrier of 1.7 million travellers in its tourist accommodations

Tourism numbers sign off a record year in the Region, consolidating this sector as one of the main drivers of regional economy.

Tourist accommodations in the Region of Murcia broke an influx record in 2023, surpassing for the first time the historical annual barrier of 1.7 million travellers, which generated 5.5 million overnight stays, according to estimated data offered by the Regional Ministry of Tourism, Culture, Youth and Sports.

According to the Regional Minister of Tourism, Culture, Youth and Sports, Carmen Conesa, “the Region managed to achieve a historic year for tourists, in anticipation of confirmation of the definitive data from the National Institute of Statistics, which will show tourism has been consolidated as one of the main engines of the economy.”

In terms of international tourism, the arrival of foreign tourism to the Region grew above the national average, reaching almost one million tourists. There was also a record in international spending, exceeding 1.2 billion euros, and the Region consolidated itself as the Spanish region where these visitors stayed longest, with about 12 days compared to 7 for the Spanish average as a whole.

To all this must be added the exceptional progress of tourism employment in 2023, with positive interannual rates that have continued to 32 consecutive months of growth in the number of workers enrolled in Social Security and with the highest recorded number of enrolments in tourist activities for 2023 at 45,743, creating 2,000 new jobs in just one year.

In this context of historic tourism results on the part of the Region, the regional government will continue to participate in the Madrid International Tourism Fair (FITUR) with a program of presentations and promotional actions that will take place both at the Ifema exhibition centre and in the centre of Madrid, and whose objective is to continue creating business opportunities for the regional sector and promote the marketing of the Region's tourism facilities and its products throughout the year.

Likewise, the Minister pointed out that the Region has started the year "with great growth expectations for 2024 and with air connectivity reinforced by new direct flights between the Region's airport and the two main airport hubs in our country: Madrid and Barcelona, ​this means that the Region of Murcia International Airport will be linked this year to 23 destinations in seven countries."

In addition, she announced that this year the Region will sign the first Regional Pact for Tourism "to establish a joint line of action between all administrations and the business sector, and we will promote investment in tourism promotion like never before, with an investment record of 12 million euros, in addition to a direct line of 8 million euros to collaborate in the modernization of the regional accommodation plant, in line with the objectives of the Strategic Tourism Plan 2022-2032."