Spain: International tourist spending exceeds €7,8 billion in January, up 9.3 percent

International

Visitor numbers reach 5.1 million as spending continues to grow faster than arrivals

International tourists spent more than €7.8 billion in Spain in January 2026, an increase of 9.3% compared with the same month last year, according to data published by the National Statistics Institute (INE). During the same period, more than 5.1 million international visitors travelled to Spain, representing a 1.2% increase year-on-year.

The figures confirm a continuing trend in which tourism revenue grows faster than visitor numbers. According to the Ministry of Industry and Tourism, this development reflects a strategic focus on a tourism model that prioritises quality over quantity, promotes sustainability, diversifies the tourism offer and reduces seasonal concentration.

Spending per traveller continues to rise

Average spending per visitor reached €1,522 in January, an increase of 8.1% compared with the previous year. Daily spending also grew significantly, rising by 7.3% to €177 per traveller.

Overall, the increase in international tourist spending was 8.2 percentage points higher than the growth in visitor numbers during the month. Most travellers stayed between four and seven nights, a category that accounted for more than 2.2 million visitors, up 2.1% year-on-year.

Canary Islands remain the leading destination

The Canary Islands were the most visited destination in January, receiving 1.43 million international tourists, an increase of 4.9% compared with the same month in 2025. The archipelago accounted for 27.8% of total arrivals.

Catalonia ranked second with 19.7% of international visitors, although arrivals declined by 6.2% to just over one million tourists. The Community of Madrid followed with 14.9% of visitors and recorded strong growth of 8.8%, reaching 766,365 arrivals.

Mixed performance among key source markets

The United Kingdom remained the largest source market, with 897,095 visitors in January, an increase of 3.3% compared with the previous year. Germany sent 527,327 tourists, a slight decline of 2%, while arrivals from France dropped more sharply by 19.5% to 517,788 visitors.

At the same time, long-haul markets continued to expand. Visitor numbers from Asia increased by 8%, while arrivals from the United States grew by 3.4%.

In terms of spending, the United Kingdom accounted for the largest share with 13.9% of total expenditure, followed by Germany with 10.6%. Particularly strong growth was recorded among travellers from countries outside the main European markets, whose spending rose by 18.8%, as well as visitors from Italy, whose expenditure increased by 16.5%.