International Tourism in Spain Sets New Record in Q1 2025: €23.5 Billion Spent

International

International tourists spent a record €23.5 billion in Spain during the first quarter of 2025, marking a 7.2% increase compared to the same period last year, according to data released by the Spanish National Statistics Institute (INE).

A total of 17.1 million international visitors arrived in Spain between January and March, up 5.7% from the first quarter of 2024. In March alone, 6.6 million foreign tourists visited the country, reflecting a year-on-year increase of 3.8%. Notably, the number of Italian visitors surged by 27.7%, accompanied by a 25% increase in their spending.

Among the key source markets, the United Kingdom accounted for the highest tourist spending in the first three months of 2025 (15.9% of total), followed by Germany (12.3%) and the Nordic countries (8.8%). In terms of visitor numbers, the UK led with over 3.1 million tourists (up 4.6%), followed by France with more than 2.1 million visitors (up 7.1%), while Germany recorded nearly 2.1 million visitors, a slight decrease of 0.1%.

Jordi Hereu, Spain’s Minister of Industry and Tourism, highlighted that the increase in spending continues to outpace the rise in tourist numbers, signaling a shift towards a more sustainable tourism model. "We aim to add significant value to the tourism sector, maintaining our global leadership through a model based on social, environmental, and economic sustainability. This involves diversifying destinations, experiences, and products, as well as digitalization and equitable distribution of tourism benefits," said Hereu.

Increased Spending and Off-Season Arrivals

March alone saw an impressive influx of 6.6 million international tourists, who spent over €9.1 billion, an increase of 5.6% compared to the previous year. The average expenditure per visitor in March was €1,382, up 1.7% year-on-year, with daily spending increasing by 4.5% to €188. The most common length of stay ranged from four to seven nights, attracting almost 3.3 million tourists, a rise of 3.2%.

Canary Islands Lead as Top Destination

Among Spanish regions, the Canary Islands emerged as the top destination in March, hosting over 1.5 million tourists (23.6% of the total), followed by Catalonia (1.4 million, 20.8%) and Andalusia (1 million, 16.0%). Tourist numbers in the Canary Islands increased by 0.9% compared to March 2024, while Catalonia saw a rise of 1.0%, and Andalusia experienced a significant growth of 10.2%.

In terms of spending, the Canary Islands also ranked first, accounting for 26.6% of the total tourist expenditure in March, followed by Andalusia (17.5%) and Catalonia (15.8%). Spending in the Canary Islands rose by 4.5% year-on-year to €2.429 billion, while Andalusia saw a notable increase of 9.5%, reaching €1.593 billion. In contrast, Catalonia reported a decrease of 3.4%, with total spending of €1.441 billion.

This continued upward trend in both tourist numbers and spending underscores Spain’s ongoing success in consolidating a more resilient and sustainable tourism model.