The intention to travel among Spaniards accelerates by 19% in 2024

The intention to travel is has accelerated by 19% among those Spaniards who did not travel in 2023, according to the Travel Trends 2024 report launched by Visa, together with the Payment Innovation Hub.

This report aims to analyse the trends and preferences of Spanish tourists during their travels. Thus, in a context in which a historic year is expected for this sector¹ , 65% say they will maintain their budget as in 2023 , especially if they travel around Spain or within Europe, where the majority will spend between €500 and €2,000 per person².

Although inflation remains the main factor among those who have reduced their budget (20%), there is a decrease in fear of inflation, losing weight compared to last year (45% in 2024 vs 54% in 2023). This optimism translates into a significant increase in the desire to travel, reaching 37% compared to 28% the previous year.

In this sense, the digitalisation of tourism is playing a fundamental role in the development of this sector, facilitating the organisation and booking of trips in advance and offering a fast and secure experience at the destination. Precisely, digital payments are playing a key role, allowing planning and carrying out transactions during trips.

Physical cards and mobile payments are becoming the preferred payment options for Spaniards when travelling , especially within Europe. 69% of Spaniards use cards to book holiday accommodation and 64% to travel long distances, compared to 26% of respondents who use mobile payments to make these transactions. Furthermore, those who prefer to pay by card highlight convenience, speed and security as the main advantages. This preference reflects the advance of mobile payments both because of the convenience of these payments and the confidence of Spaniards in the security of these transactions.

"The revitalization of tourism is an encouraging indicator of the economic recovery of our country and the confidence that consumers place in a completely renewed ecosystem," says Eduardo Prieto, general manager of Visa in Spain . "At Visa, we will continue to develop solutions that support the digitalization of tourism, facilitating the management of their trip for tourists around the world thanks to our global network, present in more than 200 countries."

The combination of agility, security, diversity of options and continuous technological innovation have accelerated the adoption of new forms of payment by travelers, driven by the development of digitalization of businesses. The union of all these trends is rapidly transforming the way travelers pay during their tourist experiences.                                                                                                                                                                                          
In this way, collaboration between all the actors in the tourism ecosystem, including public institutions, private companies, local organizations and the community in general, is essential for the progress of the sector. In fact, governments are already adapting to these trends; Visa is working with governments in countries such as Greece or Turkey to promote quality tourism by giving them access to data analysis platforms. In this way, authorities can analyze spending patterns and seasonal dynamics and thus create increasingly attractive tourist experiences according to the tourist profile.