MADRID (Reuters) - The number of foreign tourists visiting Spain rose to 1.36 million in May, up from virtually zero who came in May 2020 when the country was under a strict lockdown, the National Statistics Institute (INE) said on Friday.

       The number of tourists more than doubled from April 2021 as travel restrictions were eased but was still 83% lower than in May 2019, the data showed.

       Foreign tourists spent a total 1.39 billion euros ($1.64 billion) in May, 83% less than in the same month in 2019, INE said.

       ($1 = 0.8458 euros)

       (Reporting by Inti Landauro and Cristina Galan; Editing by Nathan Allen)