Tourexpi
Spain’s tourism sector closed 2025 broadly in line
with expectations, posting new records in both arrivals and revenue.
International tourist spending reached €134.7 billion between January and
December, up 6.8% year on year, exceeding the total recorded in 2024. The
figures were released by Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE) through its
Frontur and Egatur surveys.
Record arrivals, stronger growth in spending
The number of international tourists visiting Spain
also set a new historical high. A total of 96.8 million visitors arrived in
2025, representing an increase of 3.2% compared with the previous year. Once
again, spending growth outpaced the rise in arrivals, confirming a trend
towards higher in-destination expenditure per visitor, although the gap
narrowed slightly compared with 2024.
According to the data, this evolution is consistent
with the government’s long-term strategy to transform Spain’s tourism model
towards greater sustainability, with a stronger focus on quality over quantity,
spatial deconcentration, reduced seasonality and a more diversified product
offering, in line with the Spain Tourism Strategy 2030, approved in 2025.
Key source markets by expenditure
By country of origin, the United Kingdom remained
Spain’s largest source market in terms of spending in 2025, with €23.65 billion,
an increase of 4.9% year on year. Germany followed with €15.83 billion, up 2%,
while France ranked third with €11.61 billion, posting a 5.9% increase compared
with 2024.
In terms of visitor numbers, the UK also led with 19
million tourists, up 3.7%. France recorded more than 12.7 million arrivals,
down 1%, while Germany surpassed 12 million visitors, a modest increase of 0.6%.
Regional distribution of tourism spending
At regional level, Catalonia recorded the highest
total international tourism spending in 2025, with €24.81 billion, up 4.5% year
on year. The Canary Islands followed closely with €24.43 billion, representing
a 6.8% increase, while the Balearic Islands reached €21.06 billion, up 5.2%.
Catalonia also ranked as Spain’s most visited region
over the full year, welcoming 20 million tourists, a 0.6% increase. The
Balearic Islands and the Canary Islands each received 15.7 million visitors,
with growth rates of 2.6% and 3%, respectively.
December confirms spending-led growth
The trend towards higher spending per visitor was
particularly evident in December. Spain welcomed 5.3 million international
tourists during the month, a marginal year-on-year increase of 0.4%, while
total expenditure exceeded €8 billion, up 5.5%.
Average spending per tourist in December reached €1,514,
an increase of 5% compared with the same month in 2024. Average daily spending
also rose by 5%, to €167. The most common length of stay remained between four
and seven nights, accounting for more than 2.4 million visitors, although this
segment declined slightly by 1.4% year on year.
In December, the Canary Islands were the leading
destination with 1.45 million visitors, followed by Catalonia with 991,155 and Valencia
with 704,494, the latter posting growth of 5.6%.
Overall, the 2025 figures underline Spain’s continued
shift towards a higher-value tourism model, with international spending growth
consistently outpacing increases in visitor numbers.
Image
Credit: © AA
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