According to Spain‘s tourism statistics, Catalonia received over 6 million foreign visitors in the first half of 2008 (25% of the total for Spain), followed by the Canary Islands with 15% of the total number of visitors and Andalucia with 14% of the total, Valencia with 10% of the total and finally Madrid with 8%. 27% of visitors were from the United Kingdom, followed by Germany, France and Italy. There is a marked decrease in visitors coming to Spain on packaged tours and a similar increase (approx 7%) in the number of tourists who visit Spain independently. Visitors continue to arrive mostly by air with over 20 million passengers arriving in Spanish airports (3% growth).