Business tourism consolidates its recovery in Spain with higher spending and more loyal travelers
Business tourism will generate an economic impact of 6,734 million euros in Spain in 2024, 13% more than the previous year, according to the latest Turespaña report. Although the volume of travelers has not yet recovered pre-pandemic levels, the segment is consolidating its growth supported by higher spending per visitor, lower seasonality and a professional profile of high loyalty and added value, with MICE tourism as one of its main drivers.
Business tourism will consolidate its recovery in Spain in 2024, relying more on value and expenditure than on the volume of travelers. According to the latest Turespaña report, this segment generated an estimated economic impact of 6.734 million euros, which is 13% more than in 2023, despite the fact that the number of trips —4.8 million travelers— aún has not reached pre-pandemic levels.
The data, compiled from Egatur microdata and the International Tourist Satisfaction Survey (ESTI), confirm that the professional traveler continues to be one of the profiles with the highest economic contribution to tourism as a whole. The average expenditure per trip stood at 1,392 euros, while daily expenditure reached 248 euros, the highest in the entire historical series and nearly 30% higher than that of holiday tourism.
Besides the economic impact, the report highlights the ability of business tourism to reduce seasonality by spreading its activity more evenly throughout the year, compared to the greater summer concentration of leisure tourism.
The MICE engine, key to value generation
Within this segment, MICE tourism (meetings, incentives, congresses and exhibitions) is consolidating its position as one of the main value drivers. In 2024 it will generate an estimated total expenditure of 1,126 million euros, with an average expenditure per trip of 1,457 euros and a daily expenditure of 303 euros, the highest recorded to date.
This is a traveler with shorter stays, but with a greater economic impact, who mostly uses hotel as main accommodation (90%) and whose activity intensifies especially in September and October, reinforcing its contribution to deseasonalization.
A loyal, demanding and high-profile traveler
The profile of the business traveler visiting Spain stands out for its high loyalty to the destination and a higher-than-average level of education and income. The 58% have visited the country on at least ten occasions, and the overall satisfaction of the segment reaches a rating of 8.7 out of 10, slightly lower than that of leisure tourism, reflecting a higher level of demand, especially in areas such as accommodation, restaurants and infrastructure.
In the case of the MICE traveler, the profile is slightly younger, with a male predominance and a higher concentration of professionals with higher education and medium-high and high incomes, reinforcing its role as a high value-added segment.
Madrid and Barcelona, major business tourism hubs
By destination, Madrid and Barcelona account for more than half of all international business and MICE travel, consolidating their position as the country's major urban and congress hubs. They are followed by other cities such as Valencia, Bilbao and Seville, which continue to gain weight in this type of tourism. Europe remains the main source market, although the report notes a growing prominence of the American continent.
All in all, the data confirm that business tourism is moving towards a model that is less dependent on volume and more oriented towards quality, spending and loyalty, reinforcing its strategic role within international tourism in Spain.