Spain welcomed a record 96.8 million foreign tourists in 2025, official data published on Tuesday by the National Statistics Institute (INE) showed.
That figure represents a 3.2% rise on 2024, when international arrivals totalled 94 million.
Tourism remains a cornerstone of the Spanish economy, contributing 12.6% of gross domestic product. Spain is also the world’s third-largest tourism earner, according to the UN World Tourism Barometer, behind only the United Kingdom and France.
Spending by overseas visitors climbed even faster than arrivals, increasing 6.8% year-on-year to 134.7 billion euros in 2025, up from 126 billion euros the previous year, the Ministry of Tourism said.
The ministry said the rise in visitor numbers and expenditure aligns with its goal of transforming ‘the tourism model into one that is more sustainable and based on prioritising quality over quantity’.
Catalonia, home to Barcelona, remained Spain’s most visited region, drawing around 20.1 million tourists — a 0.6% increase compared with 2024. The Balearic Islands and the Canary Islands followed, continuing to anchor Spain’s reputation as a leading sun-and-beach destination.
Visitors from the United Kingdom accounted for the largest share, at 19 million, followed by France with 12.7 million and Germany with 12 million.
The latest figures mark Spain’s third tourism record since 2019, the last full year before the Covid-19 pandemic brought global travel to a halt.
The post-pandemic rebound in tourism has also intensified pressure on accommodation, particularly in city centres. The rapid expansion of short-term rentals has at times sparked tensions with residents, many of whom say mass tourism has pushed housing and rental prices beyond their reach. ALSO READ: Spain to impose tougher rental regulations, including caps on room rents and limits on seasonal lets.
Globally, international travel also hit a post-pandemic high last year, with an estimated 1.52 billion cross-border tourist arrivals worldwide — nearly 60 million more than in 2024 — according to the UN tourism barometer.
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📈 España consolida su liderazgo turístico en 2025
— Ministerio de Industria y Turismo (@minturgob) February 3, 2026
🌍 96,8 millones de turistas internacionales
💶 134.700 M€ de gasto, un 6,8% más que en 2024
🌴Cataluña, Canarias y Baleares lideran el gasto turístico.
📊Datos del @es_INE (Frontur y Egatur)
🗞️https://t.co/4aqhXk2CEz pic.twitter.com/ZWzJvDtvnD
Encuesta de Gasto Turístico #EGATUR. Diciembre 2025 @es_INE
— INE España (@es_INE) February 3, 2026
El gasto total de los turistas internacionales que visitaron España en diciembre aumentó un 5,5% y alcanzó los 8.006 millones de euros
Nota de prensa
👇https://t.co/0Vp11SlK1s
Resultados➡️ https://t.co/QZuoaoSuWa#INE… pic.twitter.com/KOqBfEA5Dj
Estadística de Movimientos Turísticos en Fronteras #FRONTUR. Diciembre 2025 y año 2025 @es_INE
— INE España (@es_INE) February 3, 2026
España recibió 5,3 millones de turistas internacionales en diciembre, un 0,4% más que en el mismo mes de 2024
Nota de prensa
👇https://t.co/UrMgu8Xn96
Resultados➡️… pic.twitter.com/YSOUfHg8Sx
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