Spain rises in holiday list

SPAIN has passed the United States as the world’s second most visited country, according to its Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy.

Mr Rajoy said 82 million people visited Spain last year, a 9 per cent increase on the previous year despite terror attacks and the political crisis in tourism magnet Catalonia.

Tourism earnings rose 12 per cent to $104 billion, he said in Rome at a southern European migration summit. In 2016, Spain welcomed 75.3 million visitors, just behind the US (75.6 million), while France easily stayed in the top position with 82.6 million visitors.