Spain’s International Tourism Spending Surpasses €92 Billion Through August

International

Tourist expenditure grows faster than arrivals as Spain consolidates a quality-driven tourism model

International visitor spending in Spain reached €92.46 billion between January and August 2025, marking a 7.1% increase compared with the same period last year, according to data released by the National Statistics Institute (INE).

During the first eight months of the year, Spain welcomed nearly 66.8 million international tourists, representing a 3.9% rise year-on-year. This continued growth in spending outpacing arrivals reflects the Ministry of Tourism’s strategic focus on sustainability, diversification, and quality over quantity.

Key source markets and destinations

The United Kingdom remained the leading source market, accounting for 17.9% of total spending, followed by Germany (11.6%) and France (9.1%).

In terms of destination regions, Catalonia led with 18.3% of total expenditure, followed closely by the Canary Islands (17.6%) and the Balearic Islands (16.8%).

From January to August, the main countries of origin by visitor numbers were the UK (almost 13.2 million, +4.3%), France (over 9.2 million, +0.1%), and Germany (over 8.2 million, +2%).

Top destinations included Catalonia (13.8 million visitors, +0.2%), the Balearic Islands (11.5 million, +3.3%), and the Canary Islands (10.3 million, +4.5%).

August: Spending outpaces arrivals

In August alone, Spain hosted 11.3 million international visitors, up 2.9% year-on-year, who generated more than €16.39 billion in total expenditure — a 6.7% increase over August 2024. This means spending rose 3.8 points faster than arrivals, reinforcing the trend toward higher-value tourism.

On average, each tourist spent €1,457 during their stay (+3.6%), while daily spending rose by 4.9% to €198. The most common stay length was four to seven nights, chosen by nearly 5.3 million visitors (+3.9%).

Leading markets in August

The United Kingdom remained Spain’s top source of international visitors, contributing over 2.2 million travellers who spent €3.14 billion.

France followed with around 2 million visitors and €2.20 billion in expenditure (–5.1% year-on-year), while Germany ranked third with 1.3 million tourists spending €1.83 billion.

Balearic Islands take the lead

The Balearic Islands were the most visited destination in August, attracting 2.53 million tourists, a 3.5% increase over the previous year. Catalonia received 2.19 million visitors (–4.3%), and Andalusia saw 1.72 million arrivals (+7.6%).

In spending terms, the Balearic Islands accounted for 23.9% of total expenditure with €3.91 billion (+9.8%), followed by Catalonia with €3.11 billion (+1.8%) and Andalusia with €2.38 billion (+4.1%).