Spain is on track to welcome around 100 million international tourists this year, setting a new record as strong visitor demand and rising tourist spending continue to reinforce the country’s position as one of the world’s leading holiday destinations.
Tourism Minister Jordi Hereu said on Monday that Spain was ‘likely’ to reach the milestone if current trends continue, after the country welcomed a record 96.8 million foreign visitors in 2025 – a 3.2% increase on the previous year – making it the world’s second most-visited country after France. ALSO READ: Spain sets new tourism record with 96.8 million foreign visitors in 2025, spending €134.7 billion.
‘We will probably reach [100 million] if this trend continues. It would be the natural outcome,’ Hereu said.
The government, however, insists that the most significant measure of success is not simply visitor numbers but the amount tourists spend, with expenditure continuing to grow faster than arrivals.
Official forecasts indicate that international tourists will contribute a record €64 billion to Spain’s economy between June and September – around 10% more than during the same period last year. By September, cumulative tourist spending is expected to exceed €114 billion, underlining tourism’s role as one of Spain’s principal drivers of economic growth and helping the country continue to outperform many of its European neighbours.
Between May and August, around 43 million international visitors are expected to travel to Spain, representing a 6% increase compared with the same period in 2025. If those projections are realised, Spain will have welcomed nearly 80 million foreign tourists by the end of August.
Despite concerns that escalating tensions in the Middle East might discourage international travel, Hereu said Spain’s tourism sector had continued to demonstrate remarkable resilience.
‘The tourism model in Spain is very resilient. In recent years, it has withstood and even grown through the recovery from the pandemic, the conflict in Ukraine and now also the conflict in the Middle East,’ he said at a press conference on Monday.
He also noted that Spain’s reputation as a safe destination had become an important advantage amid growing geopolitical uncertainty.
Over recent months, instability in parts of the Middle East has diverted some travellers away from destinations in the region, increasing demand for southern European and Mediterranean countries such as Spain. ALSO READ: Spain and Portugal see tourism surge as travellers shun Middle East.
‘Three months ago, we thought the conflict in the Middle East could slow tourist arrivals, but the data shows remarkable resilience despite the circumstances,’ Hereu said.
However, the minister also warned that the ongoing conflict could still have significant indirect consequences for the tourism sector.
The Ministry of Industry and Tourism said the crisis could contribute to inflationary pressures, affect aviation fuel supplies and weigh on the economies of some of Spain’s most important tourist markets, including Germany, the UK and France. ALSO READ: Book flights early, Spain advises, as oil price surge threatens fares.
The government also believes that the country’s tourism model is becoming increasingly balanced, with growth extending beyond the traditional peak summer season and popular coastal destinations.
According to the ministry, rising visitor spending compared with arrivals reflects a continuing trend towards deseasonalisation, with travel becoming more evenly distributed throughout the year. Officials also highlighted policies designed to decentralise tourism by encouraging visitors to explore a wider range of destinations across Spain.
Turespaña (Spain’s national tourist board) forecasts that international tourist spending this summer will grow fastest in regions that have traditionally attracted fewer visitors, with year-on-year increases of between 8% and 10%. By comparison, spending in Spain’s established tourism powerhouses – Andalusia, Madrid, Catalonia, the Valencia region, the Balearic Islands and the Canary Islands – is expected to rise by between 5% and 6%.
While the country’s famous sun-and-beach resorts are expected to continue attracting growing numbers of visitors, inland regions could experience even stronger growth this summer. One contributing factor is August’s total solar eclipse, which will be visible across large parts of rural and northern Spain and has already generated exceptionally strong demand for accommodation.
Hereu said many rural hotels and guesthouses had already been fully booked because of interest in the eclipse.
The minister argued that encouraging more visitors to lesser-known inland destinations would also help ease overcrowding in some of Spain’s busiest coastal resorts, where rising tourism has fuelled growing frustration among local residents. He urged regional governments to continue adapting their tourism strategies, saying demand was likely to keep increasing. ALSO READ: Barcelona wants to revoke all city’s 10,101 tourist apartment licences by Nov 2028.
Looking further ahead, Hereu said tourism would continue to expand, but in line with the government’s ambition to transform the sector under a model based on ‘triple bottom line sustainability’ – balancing economic prosperity with social and environmental objectives.
He also highlighted the ongoing implementation of Spain’s Tourism Strategy 2030, which aims to improve the quality, competitiveness and long-term sustainability of the country’s tourism industry.
The strength of the sector has been reflected across the economy during the first five months of the year. Official figures show that international tourist spending rose by 7.8% through May to reach €50.2 billion, while foreign arrivals increased by 5% to more than 36 million visitors.
Tourism employment has also reached a record high, with more than three million people now working in the sector. Seasonal employment during the first quarter was lower than across the wider Spanish economy, suggesting a gradual shift towards more stable year-round jobs. ALSO READ: Spain’s employment hits record 22.3m as summer hiring surges despite slower fall in unemployment.
Enjoying the news from Spain in English? Add us as a preferred news source in Google.
Subscribe to the Weekly Newsletter from Spain in English.
El ministro @jordihereub y la secretaria de @TurismoEspGob han presentado las previsiones de turismo para este verano.
— Ministerio de Industria y Turismo (@minturgob) July 6, 2026
🟠 España recibirá la visita de 43M de turistas internacionales que harán un gasto de 64.000 M€ (↑10%).
🧷 https://t.co/CiSx39ZbGU pic.twitter.com/67I15S3zeU
Click here to get your business activity or services listed on our DIRECTORY.