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Spain Foreign tourist numbers are expected to surge further in 2026, with spending to build on the record 97 million visits tourists flock to the country.
Tourism Minister Jordi Herreu confirmed the optimistic outlook on Thursday, underscoring the sector’s key role in the country’s economy. Spain is currently the second most visited country in the world, after France.
The industry is a significant driver of revenue and contributes to Spain’s economic growth, which has significantly outpaced that of its European peers over the past two years.
The industry is expected to account for 13% of Spain’s gross domestic product by 2025, according to estimates by tourism lobby group Exceltur.
“If growth continues this year, the number of foreign tourists will reach 100 million, but we are not focused on that,” Helu said, adding that last year’s figure was 3.5% higher than in 2024, while tourism revenue rose 6.8% to 135 billion euros ($157 billion).
Hereu said that in the first four months of this year, which includes the busy Easter holiday, authorities expect the number of overseas tourists to rise by 3.7% to 26 million, and they expect tourists to spend 35 billion euros, a 2.5% increase from the same period last year.
The Mediterranean country’s tourism boom has boosted the economy but caused tensions in many tourist hotspots due to its indirect impact on housing prices, traffic congestion and natural resource degradation.
Some popular destinations, such as Ibiza, have cracked down on short-term rentals.
Hereu said Spain’s pattern was moving away from seasonality, as data showed tourist spending was up 53% in the low and mid-season and 34% in the peak season compared with pre-pandemic 2019.
Two-thirds of tourists who visited Spain in 2025 intend to return because they consider the country a safe place, the minister said, adding that there was no sign that global geopolitical issues were affecting flight availability or booking trends.
