Spain has received a total of 73.9 million international tourists in the first 10 months of the year, Spain's Statistical Office (INE) reported on Monday.

The figure is 0.5 percent higher than that of the same period in 2017. Visitors from Britain reached 16.7 million, followed by French and the Germans, the INE said, while pointing out that Spain's northeastern region of Catalonia had been chosen as the main destination, receiving more than 17.1 million international tourists from January to October.

The INE also reported that in the first 10 months of the year, international tourists spent 79.92 billion euros (90.71 billion US dollars) in the country, which meant a 2.7 percent rise when compared with the same period of a year earlier.

As for October, Spain received 7.6 million international visitors, which meant a 5 percent rise year-on-year. They spent 8.15 billion euros, meaning a 4.6 percent increase when compare with October, 2017.

Spain's State Secretary for Tourism Isabel Oliver said in a statement that this data was "excellent news". (1 euro = 1.14 U.S. dollars)