Spain is preparing for another record breaking year in tourism, expecting even more foreign visitors and higher overall spending in 2026 after welcoming 97 million tourists last year. Tourism Minister Jordi Hereu said the country is on track for continued growth, though officials are not fixated on surpassing the symbolic 100 million mark.
Hereu noted that last year’s visitor count rose 3.5 percent from 2024, while tourism revenue jumped 6.8 percent to 135 billion euros. Spain remains the world’s second most visited country after France, and tourism continues to be one of the strongest engines of its fast growing economy.
Industry group Exceltur estimates that tourism contributed about 13 percent of Spain’s gross domestic product in 2025, underscoring its central role in national economic performance.
Hereu said authorities expect 26 million foreign visitors in the first four months of this year, including the busy Easter period. That would represent a 3.7 percent increase, with projected spending of 35 billion euros, up 2.5 percent from the same period last year.
Spain’s tourism boom has brought prosperity but also tension in popular destinations where rising housing costs, overcrowding and pressure on natural resources have sparked local frustration. Some hotspots, including Ibiza, have already tightened rules on short term rentals in an effort to ease the strain.
+ There are no comments
Add yours