Spain reached a new tourism record in 2025. The National Institute of Statistics (INE) confirmed this with provisional data confirming Spain as one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world. The results come from the Tourist Movements at Borders Survey (Frontur) and the Tourist Expenditure Survey (Egatur).
Spain received nearly 96.8 million international tourists in 2025. This sets a high mark in the historical series. The INE released the exact figure of 96.8 million on February 3, 2026. This number is a 3.2% increase from 2024. About 94 million people visited the country that year. Tourism Minister Jordi Hereu announced an estimate of 97 million in mid-January 2026. The detailed INE Frontur data later set the count at roughly 96.8 million.
These visitors spent a total of €134.712 billion. This sum is 6.8% higher than the €126.282 billion spent in 2024. Spending grew faster than the number of arrivals. This gap shows a shift toward higher-value tourism. Visitors spent more money on each trip.
The main countries of origin remained the same. United Kingdom leads the ranking with nearly 19 million visitors (+3.7%). UK is also the top spender at €23.65 billion (+4.9%). French visitors are second, as over 12.7 million of them visited Spain last year (a drop of 1%) and spent €11.613 billion (+5.9%). The third position goes to Germany sending over 12 million visitors (+0.6%) spending €15.831 billion (+2%).
Spanish regions receiving the most international tourists were:
- Catalonia: Around 20 million visitors (+0.6%).
- Balearic Islands: 15.7 million visitors (+2.6%).
- Canary Islands: 15.7 million visitors (+3%).
- In terms of total spending the top travel destinations were:
- Catalonia: €24.807 billion (+4.5%).
- Canary Islands: €24.431 billion (+6.8%).
- Balearic Islands: €21.058 billion (+5.2%).
These figures prove Spain remains a top global travel destination. The sector helps the economy through GDP and jobs. The INE data for 2025 is provisional however. Revisions may occur in March 2026. Arrivals and spending are both rising. The sharp rise in spending suggests a focus on quality tourism rather than just volume.
