Spain tourism hits new high in 2025: 97 million foreign visitors, spending €135bn

Spain welcomed a record 97 million international tourists in 2025, marking a second consecutive year of unprecedented arrivals in a sector that remains central to the country’s economy, the tourism minister said on Thursday.

Preliminary figures show visitor numbers rose 3.5% from 94 million in 2024, while total tourist spending increased 6.8% to €135 billion, Tourism Minister Jordi Hereu (main image) told reporters in Madrid.

‘This is a collective success by the whole country that perfectly demonstrates Spain’s enormous attractivity, because Spain is a country that seduces the world,’ he said.

European travellers continue to dominate arrivals, with tourists from the United Kingdom, Germany and France making up roughly half of all visitors.

Spain’s tourism boom mirrors that of southern European neighbours such as Portugal and Greece, following years of economic hardship after the austerity measures and heavy debt burdens of the early 2010s. The post-pandemic recovery in travel has been a key driver of this rebound.

Tourism now accounts for about 13% of Spain’s economy, reinforcing its position as the world’s second most visited country after France, and helping fuel growth that has outpaced many EU partners.

The Bank of Spain has forecast economic growth of 2.9% in 2025 for the eurozone’s fourth-largest economy — more than twice the average expected across the single-currency area. ALSO READ: Bank of Spain lifts growth forecast, but household finances remain under pressure.

However, the surge in visitor numbers has also intensified opposition to the social and economic effects of mass tourism, particularly as the country struggles with a prolonged housing crisis. ALSO READ: Spain to impose tougher rental regulations, including caps on room rents and limits on seasonal lets.

Thousands of residents have taken to the streets, arguing that tourism pressures are reshaping neighbourhoods and driving up rents, especially in hotspots such as Barcelona, Andalusia, the Canary Islands and Balearic Islands.

In response, Barcelona and the southern coastal city of Malaga have announced restrictions on short-term holiday rentals in an effort to ease public anger over soaring property prices. ALSO READ: Spanish government to limit short-term rentals and tourist flats to address housing crisis.

The left-wing government, facing mounting pressure to address one of the public’s main concerns, has also instructed accommodation platforms Airbnb and Booking.com to remove tens of thousands of listings found to be in breach of short-term rental rules. ALSO READ: Airbnb faces €64m fine in Spain for thousands of rental ads lacking rental licence.