Spain expects a further increase in foreign visitors and tourism revenue in 2026, building on a record year that inspired 97 million tourists to visit the country, making it the second most visited country in the world after France.
Spanish Tourism Minister Jordi Hereu confirmed the optimistic outlook on Thursday, highlighting the sector’s crucial role in the country’s economy.
The sector is an important source of revenue, contributing to Spain’s economic growth, which has significantly outperformed its European counterparts over the last two years.
According to estimates by the tourism lobby Exceltur, the sector accounted for 13% of Spain’s gross domestic product in 2025.
“If growth continues this year, we will reach 100 million foreign tourists, but we are not focusing solely on that,” said Mr. Hereu, adding that last year’s tourist flows represented a 3.5% increase compared to 2024, while tourism revenues rose by 6.8% to €135 billion.
According to the Spanish Minister of Tourism, during the first four months of this year—including the Easter holiday period— – a 3.7% increase in foreign visitors to 26 million people is expected, who are expected to spend €35 billion, an increase of 2.5% compared to the same period last year.
Spain’s tourism boom, while boosting its economy, has led to tensions in many popular tourist resorts due to the indirect effects on housing prices, traffic congestion, and problems of natural resource degradation.
Some popular destinations, such as Barcelona, Ibiza, and Majorca, have taken strict measures against short-term rentals, while, just at the beginning of the week, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced a new law aimed at curbing unjustified rent increases and combating illegal short-term rentals.
Mr. Hereu stated that Spain’s model is moving away from seasonality, as data shows that tourist spending increased by 53% during the low and mid seasons compared to the corresponding periods in the pre-pandemic year 2019, and by 34% during the high season.
Two-thirds of tourists who visited Spain in 2025 intend to return, as they consider it a safe country, said the Spanish minister, adding that there are no signs that global geopolitical issues are affecting flight availability or booking trends.
