Overnight stays in Spain’s hotels dropped 5 percent in August from the same month in 2008, compared with a 5.5 percent fall in July, the National Statistics Institute (INE) said on Wednesday.
The decline in hotel rates also eased in August, to 4.6 percent year-on-year compared with a 6 percent reduction in July.
Overnight stays in August rose 2.2 percent among residents of Spain while stays by non-residents fell 10.6 percent.
Spain’s tourism sector accounts for around 11 percent of gross domestic product but has taken a battering this year due to currency moves and as foreign holidaymakers search for cheaper beach destinations.
The number of foreign tourists arriving in Spain in August fell 8.1 percent from a year earlier and compared to a 6.1 percent drop in July, the tourism ministry said on Monday.
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