Tourexpi
According to Sánchez, this evolution is reflected in
continued visitor increases beyond the summer months, alongside a sharper rise
in tourist spending. In September 2025, 2,083,174 British tourists visited
Spain — a 1.9% increase compared to the same month last year — while their
total expenditure reached €2.555 billion, up 4.3%, more than double the rate of
visitor growth.
So far this year, nearly 15.3 million travellers from
the UK have arrived in Spain, representing a 4% rise over 2024. Their
cumulative spending exceeds €19 billion, accounting for 18% of total
international tourist expenditure in the country. The United Kingdom thus
remains Spain’s leading source market, both in arrivals and in spending.
“A strong and balanced recovery”
Accompanied by Miguel Sanz, Director General of Turespaña,
and Manuel Butler, Director of the Spanish Tourism Office in London, Sánchez
stressed:
“It is very important that we are here in London to
support the sector in this positive development of the British market — to
steer it toward value-based growth and to showcase Spain’s international
leadership.”
She added that during the summer months, the upward
trend of British tourism persisted, though at a more moderate pace than in
other periods of the year. “This is precisely what we want to see,” Sánchez
explained, “because it helps consolidate the transformation of Spain’s tourism
model — one that is sustainable, less seasonal, more geographically
diversified, and more balanced in its offerings.”
Spain Tourism 2030: a vision for the future
In line with this transformation, the Secretary of
State will present Spain Tourism 2030, a comprehensive national strategy
approved by the Council of Ministers two weeks ago, at the WTM on Wednesday.
“Spain Tourism 2030 represents the Government’s
commitment to placing the country’s leading industry at the centre of its
political agenda,” Sánchez said. “It calls on all stakeholders — including
those in our source markets — to work together. Tourism must receive the highest
level of attention in all its dimensions and effects, to ensure it remains a
key driver of wealth and well-being for our citizens.”
During her visit to WTM, Sánchez is also holding a
series of meetings with UK tourism industry representatives and attending
institutional events, alongside her traditional tour of the Spanish regional
stands.
Image
Credit: © Government of
Spain. Ministry of industry and tourism
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