Spanish tourist sites increasingly attractive

Spain is taking advantage of a rapid growth in Chinese arrivals as travelers from China become more sophisticated and independent, seeking out new experiences in European destinations.

Last year, Spain saw a record number of 514,000 Chinese tourists visit the country, a surge of more than 290 percent compared with five years earlier, according to the China Outbound Tourism Research Institute, which has branches in Beijing and Hamburg, Germany.

Average per capita expenditure last year by Chinese visitors stood at 946 euros ($1,067), making them the biggest spenders among all nationalities, according to the institute.