Tourexpi
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%).
Image
Credit: © AA
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