Spain's Meliá Hotels International posted a second-quarter consolidated net profit of €46.2 million ($50.9 million) on Monday, up sharply from a meager €3.7 million a year ago, as revenues surpassed pre-pandemic levels.

Total revenue for the quarter was up 9.3% over 2022--when the travel industry was still affected by some pandemic restrictions--to €513.7 million, up 4.7% over 2019.

According to the company, the quarterly results show the strength of sustained demand with no signs of slowing down. Bookings through year-end were more than 20% higher than full-year 2022 figures.

"The global tourism business continues to grow, driven by the increasing priority that post-pandemic consumers place on travel over other spending on goods and services," CEO Gabriel Escarrer said in a statement.

Travel industry data shows that consumers have prioritized vacation spending over the past year, burning through pandemic savings even as rising inflation and interest rates have dented household budgets.

Meliá closed last year with a profit after two years of pandemic-induced losses.

(1 dollar = 0.9075 euros)

(Reporting by David Latona and Corina Pons; Editing by Andrei Khalip, edited in Spanish by José Muñoz)