Spain's tourism industry leads the national economy and finished 2025 with record results. Exceltur, the Alliance for Tourism Excellence, released a new report according to which the sector added 218,459 million euros to the economy. This equals 13% of GDP and is a new high. Growth reached 2.5% year-on-year which was however slower than the 5.5% rate in 2024 and the 10.5% rate in 2023.
The year marked a change toward what Exceltur calls a smarter, better growth model. Óscar Perelli serves as executive vice-president of Exceltur. He noted that Spanish tourism led the national rise in labor productivity with a 3.8% increase. The Spanish average was 2.8%. Employment rose by 47,815 workers (+2.3%). Permanent contracts made up 91.9% of these new jobs. The temporary employment rate fell to 7.6%, which is well below the national average of 12.3%. Wages also increased. Collective bargaining agreements provided a 3.9% average raise. This rate beat 2025 inflation and gave workers real gains in purchasing power.
Companies performed well. Their results improved by 5.6% and beat sales growth of 4%. Moreover, tourist crowding eased for the first time. The daily average dropped by 20,000 tourists compared to 2024 which brought the ratio down to 7.4 tourists per 100 residents. Exceltur links this drop to fewer travelers rather than population growth. This trend helped reduce social tension and protests against high tourist numbers.
Fewer rental properties played a large role in this change. The number of tourist homes fell by 4.1% for the first time. This equals 15,963 fewer units. The total at the end of the year was 366,375. Major cities saw the biggest drops. Ibiza fell by 79.8%, Palma de Mallorca by 63.2%, Santiago de Compostela by 38.8%, San Sebastián by 38.1%, and Barcelona by 36.6%. A new digital registry for rentals caused this trend. It helped regulate listings and removed many illegal ones.
Spanish tourism still depends on international tourism. Foreign tourist arrivals grew by 3.4% and overnight stays rose by 1.4%. Spending increased by a strong 7.9%. But domestic demand stalled. Overnight stays by locals fell 3.9%, and spending stayed flat. Spanish travelers chose to go for holidays abroad instead.
Exceltur predicts that the growth will continue in 2026 but will slow down. They expect the sector to add 229,372 million euros to the economy which is a 2.4% rise. That figure is slightly above the expected Spanish GDP growth of 2.2%. Tourism will make up 13.1% of the total economy. Business owners expect sales to rise by 3.9%, which is less than the 4% rate in 2025. They also expect results to improve by 5.9%.
Global uncertainty surrounds this forecast. Geopolitical tensions remain high. They include possible policy changes from the U.S. under Trump. Moreover, major economies are weakening. Weather patterns and rising absenteeism also pose risks. Absenteeism in the sector has reached about 20%. But other factors help the industry. Managers use artificial intelligence more often. Businesses plan to invest. About 42.4% of companies say they will spend more. Key source markets also perform well.
Spanish tourism sector faces big challenges. Tourist housing grows without control. Absenteeism is high. New tourism taxes and fees add costs. Bad publicity and transport jams are also risks. Exceltur asked Aena to delay the rate hikes. They also asked Adif to invest more to support "traffic excellence."
Some regions feel more optimistic than others. The Valencian Community expects sales to grow by 9.9%, Murcia expects 8.8%, the Balearic Islands forecast 6.6%, and Castilla-La Mancha predicts 5.5%. Perelli spoke on the symbolic milestone of 100 million international tourists, following 97 million in 2025. He noted that the sector values sustainable contribution over volume. Companies do not care if they exceed 100 million tourists. They want the contribution from national and international visitors to grow. Businesses expect stronger growth from domestic demand in 2026.
Spanish tourism had years of explosive post-pandemic recovery. It is now entering a phase of mature, high-quality stability. New records are likely to be achieved in 2026. Success depends on managing external risks and internal efficiencies. It also requires balancing economic gains with social and environmental sustainability.
