Madrid, Apr 5 (IANS): Spain welcomed 3.15 million tourists in February this year as the tourist industry continues to recover from the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, said the Spanish Statistical Office (INE).

The number of foreigners visiting Spain increased by 1,007.8 per cent when compared with February 2021, when many travel restrictions were still in place due to the pandemic, Xinhua news agency reported.

Spending also rose strongly, with visitors spending a total of 3,757 million euros in February 2022, which was 1,060.2 per cent up from the figure in February 2021.

Although the signs of recovery continue, INE points out that the number of foreign visitors to Spain accounted for only 71 per cent of pre-pandemic figure.

The lifting of restrictions has seen a large increase in the number of tourists from other European countries, especially from the UK, France and Germany, according to the INE.

Reyes Maroto, Minister of Industry, Commerce and Tourism, said travellers view Spain as "a safe destination," considering there is "a growth of more than 670,000 travellers in February compared to January".

She expected the number of tourists to continue to increase in April, reaching about 80 per cent of pre-pandemic figure.