Spain plans to exceed its 65-million record of foreign visitors registered last year, based on the excellent results yielded by coastal regions this summer.

Industry, Energy and Tourism Minister José Manuel Soria said he was confident the country will receive more millions of tourists compared with 2014, since the occupation in coastal areas had reached the 100 percent and the 70 and 80 percent in other regions across the country.

In an interview with news agency EFE, Soria recalled that during the first quarter of 2015, Spain received more than 29 million foreign tourists, 4.2 percent more than in the same period last year.

If this trend continues, it is very likely for the country to register the third consecutive record high after 2013 (60.6 millions) and 2014 (65 millions), said the minister, who refrained from confirming the 68 million figure expected by specialists.

He also said it was necessary to act carefully not to spook investors like, in his opinion, could happen with the moratorium of new licenses for tourist accommodations in Barcelona (Prensa Latina).

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