Data & insight · Updated
Spain Tourism Statistics
How many people visit Spain, where they come from, what they spend and where they go — the latest official figures for the world’s second-most-visited country, compiled from official statistics — full sources are listed at the bottom of the page. Headline numbers are for 2025, the most recent full year, with 2026 year-to-date where available.
Inbound visitors
International visitors to Spain
Spain set its third consecutive arrivals record in 2025 with 96.8 million international tourists — nearly 16% above the pre-pandemic peak — and 2026 is running 4.6% ahead so far. Only France welcomes more visitors.
The 2025 figures were revised in March 2026 with no change to the totals. 2026 so far: 58.1 million tourists in January–July, 4.6% ahead of the same months of 2025 (provisional).
Visitor spending
What international visitors spend
International tourists spent a record €134.7 billion in Spain in 2025, up 6.8% on 2024’s previous record — and spending in January–July 2026 is up a further 7.8%. Spending has grown considerably faster than arrivals since the pandemic. Figures are nominal.
No reliably sourced figure is available for 2020, so that year is omitted. 2026 so far: €82.1bn in January–July (+7.8%, provisional).
Source markets
Where Spain's visitors come from
The United Kingdom towers over every other market with about 19 million tourists a year. Germany out-spends France despite fewer visits. Bars show 2025 arrivals; the muted figure is that market’s spend where published.
Why they come
Purpose of visit
Spain is overwhelmingly a leisure destination: more than six in seven international tourists come on holiday. Official figures group visits to friends and relatives under “other reasons”, so no separate VFR share is published.
- Leisure & holidays 86%
- Other (incl. VFR) 9%
- Business & professional 5%
Shares are for 2025.
Seasonality
When they visit
Spain’s season peaks hard in summer: the third quarter alone brings in a third of the year’s tourists, and August (11.2 million arrivals) is more than twice as busy as January.
Quarterly totals aggregated from the official monthly arrivals series for 2025.
Attractions
Spain's most-visited attractions
The Sagrada Família is Spain’s most-visited attraction, and Madrid’s Prado leads the museums, passing 3.5 million visitors for the first time. Figures are official 2025 counts from each institution; sites without officially published figures (such as Park Güell) are omitted.
Accommodation
Hotels & occupancy
Spanish hotels logged a record 366.7 million overnight stays in 2025, two-thirds of them by international guests. Note that the official occupancy measure counts bed-places, which runs lower than the room-occupancy measure used in industry reports.
Economic impact
Tourism in Spain's economy
Tourism is a pillar of the Spanish economy — a larger share of GDP than in any other major European economy. The official tourism GDP figures below refer to 2024; an industry estimate puts 2025 tourism GDP at €218.5 billion (about 13% of GDP).
Catalonia is the most-visited region (20.0 million international tourists in 2025), ahead of the Balearic and Canary Islands — though the Canaries rank second by spend.
At a glance
Fast facts
- 58.1m Tourists Jan–Jul 2026 (+4.6%)
- €1,392 Avg. spend per tourist (2025)
- €195 Avg. spend per day (2025)
- 7.1 nights Avg. length of stay (2025)
- 20.0m Tourists to Catalonia — top region (2025)
- 14.1m Cruise passengers (2025, record)
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How many tourists visit Spain each year?
Spain received a record 96.8 million international tourists in 2025 — its third record year in a row, and nearly 16% above the 2019 pre-pandemic peak. 2026 is running 4.6% ahead so far (58.1 million in January–July). Only France welcomes more visitors.
How much do tourists spend in Spain?
International tourists spent a record €134.7 billion in 2025, averaging €1,392 per tourist and €195 per day over an average stay of about 7 nights. Spending in January–July 2026 was up a further 7.8%.
Which country sends the most tourists to Spain?
The United Kingdom, with about 19.1 million tourists in 2025 — far ahead of France (12.8m) and Germany (12.1m). By spending, Germany ranks second despite fewer visits.
What is Spain's most-visited attraction?
The Sagrada Família in Barcelona, with about 4.88 million visitors in 2025, ahead of the Prado Museum in Madrid (3.51 million).
When is Spain's peak tourist season?
High summer: the July–September quarter accounts for about a third of annual arrivals, and August alone brings 11.2 million tourists — more than double the January figure.
Notes & sources
Methodology & sources
This page compiles publicly available official statistics; the sources for every figure are listed below. Key caveats:
- Latest data. Headline figures are for 2025 from INE’s FRONTUR and EGATUR surveys, as revised by INE in March 2026. 2026 year-to-date figures (January–July) are provisional. The Tourism Satellite Account (GDP and jobs) runs a year behind and refers to 2024; Banco de España’s 2025 figures are preliminary.
- Nominal values. Spending figures are in cash terms and are not adjusted for inflation.
- Purpose split. INE’s FRONTUR groups visits to friends and relatives under “other reasons”; Spain publishes no separate national VFR share.
- Occupancy metric. The 61.6% occupancy figure is INE’s bed-place measure, which runs structurally lower than the room-occupancy metric (~75%) quoted in industry reports.
- Attractions. Attraction figures are official 2025 counts from each institution; the Prado figure covers its Madrid building. Sites without officially published counts (e.g. Park Güell, Casa Batlló) are omitted rather than estimated.
Primary sources
- INE — FRONTUR — Border survey of international arrivals — 2025 annual figures (revised March 2026); 2026 January–July provisional (released 1 Sep 2026).
- INE — EGATUR — Tourist expenditure survey — 2025 annual figures (revised March 2026); 2026 January–July provisional.
- INE — Hotel Occupancy Survey — Annual hotel indicators, December 2025 release.
- INE — Tourism Satellite Account — Tourism GDP and employment, 2021–2024 series (published Dec 2025).
- Exceltur — Perspectivas Turísticas No. 95 — 2025 tourism GDP estimate (industry estimate, Jan 2026).
- Official attraction reports — 2025 visitor figures from the Sagrada Família annual report, Ministry of Culture (Prado, Reina Sofía, National Archaeological Museum), Junta de Andalucía (Alhambra), Patrimonio Nacional, Mezquita-Catedral, Guggenheim Bilbao and Museo Thyssen.
- Banco de España — Balance of payments — tourism receipts and surplus, 2025 (preliminary, Feb 2026).
- Puertos del Estado — Cruise passenger traffic, 2025 (provisional).
- UN Tourism / Atout France — World Tourism Barometer (Jan 2026); ranking from national 2025 figures — France 102m, Spain 96.8m.