Another year with more tourists than ever: Spain is now approaching 100 million foreign visitors

BarcelonaSpain broke a new all-time record for international tourists in 2025, registering 97 million visitors, a 3.5% increase over the previous year. This was accompanied by a record high in tourist spending, reaching €134.71 billion, a 6.8% increase. In fact, the money spent by foreign visitors during their visit is growing faster than the number of tourists, meaning that those who do come are spending more. This was revealed by the Minister of Industry and Tourism, Jordi Hereu, at a press conference this Thursday to review the 2025 figures and offer a forecast for 2026, ahead of Fitur, the major tourism trade fair, which takes place next week in Madrid. "We are growing in the way and at the pace that we believe is desirable for triple sustainability: economic, social, and environmental," the minister emphasized. The Minister of Tourism highlighted the 4% increase in salaried workers in the sector, while also noting the decrease in the temporary employment rate to 19.1% (-0.3 percentage points).

In terms of tourist satisfaction in 2025, 97% were "satisfied" or "very satisfied" with their trip to Spain. Specifically, 69% of visitors were "very satisfied," three percentage points higher than last year, according to visitor surveys. Furthermore, Hereu emphasized that 69% of foreign travelers intend to return to Spain in the next twelve months, representing a four-point increase compared to 2024.

More growth in 2026

Looking ahead to 2026, although the minister acknowledged the complex geopolitical uncertainty, current data indicates that Spain will receive a total of 26 million tourists in the first four months of the year, a 3.7% increase over the same period last year, with spending reaching €35 billion. From the minister's perspective, this growth forecast is "the best news" for Spanish destinations, citizens, and the economy. He also asserted that there are currently "no indicators" suggesting that geopolitical issues are impacting Spanish tourism. When assessing the data between 2019 (before the pandemic) and 2025, Hereu emphasized that tourist spending grew by 20.4%, exceeding the 10.9% growth in visitor numbers. Over this six-year period, the autonomous communities that make up "green" or "open" Spain saw a 60% increase in the number of tourists, while the leading autonomous communities experienced a 45% increase. Furthermore, he highlighted growth in source markets during this period, with increases of 76.9% and 80.7% from the United States and Latin America, respectively. Meanwhile, Europe continues to contribute a significant volume of visitors, although their spending is below the average. Jordi Hereu also emphasized that Asia has "very significant" potential for attracting tourists.