The United Kingdom was the main country of origin for international tourism in Spain in 2024. In that year, more than 18 million British travelers headed South for a trip to Spain. Meanwhile, France ranked in second place that year, accounting for around 13 million foreign visitors to Spanish territory.

Tourist Arrivals in Spain increased to 8568.14 Thousand in April from 6593.60 Thousand in March of 2025. This dataset provides - Spain Tourist Arrivals - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

In 2024, Spain’s tourism sector reached the staggering number of 138 million international visitors. This figure represents an increase of more than 10 million visitors versus the previous year and also versus 2019, right before the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Where and for how long do visitors in Spain usually stay? Hotels are by a wide margin the preferred type of accommodation for international tourists in Spain. More than 49 million foreign tourists in Spanish territory opted for such lodging services in 2022. Additionally, 7.3 million travelers stayed at friends’ or relatives’ homes during their trips, while a similar number chose a short-term rental option. The trip length chosen by international overnight travelers in Spain also varied in 2022, though almost half of them stayed between four and seven nights. Meanwhile, over 29 million tourists extended their stay for at least eight nights. However, Spain is also a popular day-trip destination. For instance, more than 33 million non-residents crossed the Spanish border in 2022 for a short visit. Where do people visiting Spain come from? In 2022, the most common country of origin among international tourists in Spain was the United Kingdom, with a total of over 15 million travelers making the trip. Spain’s immediate neighbor to the East, France, was second with more than 10 million French travelers visiting Spain. Out of the 17 autonomous communities, Catalonia was the top Spanish destination for international tourism in that same year, welcoming nearly 15 million people in total.

In 2024, Catalonia was the most visited region by international tourists in Spain. This Spanish autonomous community ranked first thanks to the almost 20 million people visiting from abroad, roughly five million more than the visitors welcomed in the insular communities.

Spain tourist spending for 1998 was 31.59 billion US dollars, a 10.27% increase from 1997.

<ul style='margin-top:20px;'>

<li>Spain tourist spending for 1997 was <strong>28.65 billion US dollars</strong>, a <strong>3.7% decline</strong> from 1996.</li>
<li>Spain tourist spending for 1996 was <strong>29.75 billion US dollars</strong>, a <strong>8.7% increase</strong> from 1995.</li>
<li>Spain tourist spending for 1995 was <strong>27.37 billion US dollars</strong>, a <strong>0% increase</strong> from .</li>
</ul>International tourism receipts are expenditures by international inbound visitors, including payments to national carriers for international transport. These receipts include any other prepayment made for goods or services received in the destination country. They also may include receipts from same-day visitors, except when these are important enough to justify separate classification. For some countries they do not include receipts for passenger transport items. Data are in current U.S. dollars.

The United States has been the principal country of residence of international tourists from the Americas in Spain since the mid-2010s. In 2022, more than 3.8 million U.S. residents visited the European nation. The country with the second-highest number of international tourists was Mexico, with around 984 thousand residents from the Central American country having visited Spain that year. Spain: a global destination Many people come to Spain for its warm climate and sandy beaches. In 2022 Spain received over 104.6 million international tourists, and those same tourists spent nearly 70 billion euros throughout the country. The total expenditure of international tourists in Spain peaked in 2019 at 71.2 billion euros, and the total number of international tourists in Spain peaked that same year at over 126 million. What is the leading European source market for inbound tourism in Spain? Most of the leading source markets for inbound tourism in Spain are based in Europe. In 2022, the top source market for international tourism in Spain was the United Kingdom. Over 15 million residents of the UK took a trip to the Iberian country that year. Meanwhile, that figure was nearly 10.1 million for residents of France.

In 2023, London played a prominent role in supporting international tourism in the United Kingdom. That year, the UK's capital accounted for roughly 53 percent of all inbound tourist arrivals in the country. Meanwhile, Paris represented around 22 percent of the international arrivals to France, whereas travelers to Barcelona made up 14 percent of inbound tourist arrivals in Spain in 2023. What are the most visited European cities? When looking at the number of inbound tourist arrivals to leading travel destinations in Europe, Paris and Île-de-France, the region surrounding the French capital, recorded the highest figure in 2023, with nearly 22 million arrivals. London and Istanbul, also among the leading city tourism destinations in Europe based on the number of bed nights, followed in the ranking that year, with over 20 million and 17 million inbound tourist arrivals, respectively. What are the most visited European countries? Both before and after the impact of the health crisis, France was the most visited European country by international travelers. In 2023, it reported 100 million inbound arrivals, ranking ahead of Spain, Italy, and Turkey. On the other hand, Spain was the European country with the highest number of inbound tourism receipts, followed by the United Kingdom.

Spain tourist spending for 1998 was 31.59 billion US dollars, a 10.27% increase from 1997.

<ul style='margin-top:20px;'>

<li>Spain tourist spending for 1997 was <strong>28.65 billion US dollars</strong>, a <strong>3.7% decline</strong> from 1996.</li>
<li>Spain tourist spending for 1996 was <strong>29.75 billion US dollars</strong>, a <strong>8.7% increase</strong> from 1995.</li>
<li>Spain tourist spending for 1995 was <strong>27.37 billion US dollars</strong>, a <strong>0% increase</strong> from .</li>
</ul>International tourism receipts are expenditures by international inbound visitors, including payments to national carriers for international transport. These receipts include any other prepayment made for goods or services received in the destination country. They also may include receipts from same-day visitors, except when these are important enough to justify separate classification. For some countries they do not include receipts for passenger transport items. Data are in current U.S. dollars.

South Korea was the country located in the Asian continent that accounted for the largest number of international tourists in Spain in 2023, with more than 434 thousand visitors. Notably, the number of South Korean travelers to Spain nearly tripled in 2023 over the previous year. Asian travelers in the Netherlands In addition to the Mediterranean country of Spain, the West European country of Netherlands was also frequently visited by Asian tourists. There were reportedly more than 1.4 million travelers from Asia in the Netherlands in the year prior to the pandemic. By contrast, the number of inbound tourists from Asia to the Netherlands decreased by about 85 percent in 2020. Focusing on Dutch provinces, Noord-Holland was the region in the Netherlands with the most hotel guests from Asia in 2021. Popular travel destinations in Spain The Balearic Islands were the most popular Spanish travel destination for international tourists in 2021. The Balearic Islands, which include Mallorca, Menorca, Ibiza, and Formentera, welcomed about half a million more tourists than Catalonia in that year. Mallorca, which is the largest of the Balearic Islands, was also the leading beach destination in Spain based on the number of overnight tourists in hotels in 2021. The island ranked above Barcelona when comparing overnight stays in hotels that year.

In 2023, the European country with the highest number of residents visiting Spain was the United Kingdom. In total, over 17 million British residents traveled to Spanish territory and stayed at least one night. Comparatively, around 11.7 million tourists from France also made their way to Spain in that year. UK visitors: key drivers of Spain’s international tourism With over 18 million British tourists visiting Spain annually in the years before the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the United Kingdom became the top contributor to international tourism in the Iberian country. On average, each UK resident who traveled to a Spanish destination in 2020 stayed more than eight days in total, reversing the overall decline recorded since 2008. In contrast, the average daily expenditure by UK tourists was constantly growing before the pandemic, reaching 132 euros in 2019. French and German tourists are also fond of Spain The easy travel connections, the weather, the food, and the hospitality of the Spanish people also attracted more than 20 million tourists from France and Germany each year during the second half of the 2010s. On average, German tourists in Spain spent significantly more money during their trips than their French counterparts. In the year marked by the COVID-19 pandemic, the average expenditure of German residents in Spain increased while the French visitors’ spending declined.

This is the dataset of World's most visited Countries by international travellers. France has the most visitors in 2021 and dataset contains data of 50 countries. Spain is the second country for tourists.

The number of international overnight tourists in the Community of Madrid, Spain amounted to approximately 7.9 million in 2023. Madrid: a top European city destination Madrid has been among the ten European cities with the highest number of nights spent by tourists in paid accommodation for the last three years. In 2021, the Spanish capital made it to the 5th position. In 2022 and the years prior to the global health crisis, international tourism had accounted for the largest number of overnight tourists in Madrid. Tourists in Madrid spent more than in other Spanish regions The average travel spending of international visitors in the Community of Madrid was higher than in the other 16 autonomous communities of Spain in 2022, amounting to 1,592 euros for the entire trip. Looking at the daily expenditure, foreign visitors in this Spanish region needed 281 euros per person on average in 2022, which was around 18 percent more than the per capita daily spend recorded a year earlier.

The number of international tourist arrivals worldwide increased across all regions in 2024 over the previous year. Except for the Asia-Pacific region, inbound tourist arrivals in 2024 exceeded pre-pandemic levels. Overall, Europe reported the highest volume of inbound travelers over the period considered, with around 747 million arrivals in 2024. What are the most visited countries by inbound travelers? With Europe being the most visited region by inbound travelers, it does not surprise that two European destinations top the ranking of countries with the highest number of inbound tourist arrivals worldwide. Both before and after the impact of COVID-19, France and Spain reported the most inbound tourist arrivals in the world, ahead of the United States. That said, the United States was the country with the highest international tourism receipt worldwide over the same period. What is the global economic impact of travel and tourism? According to the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), the total contribution of travel and tourism to the gross domestic product worldwide reached just under 10 trillion U.S. dollars in 2023, nearly caching up with pre-pandemic levels. This figure refers to the direct, indirect, and induced impact of the global travel and tourism sector. Meanwhile, the total number of travel and tourism jobs worldwide exceeded 300 million that year.

France was the main recipient of outbound tourism from Spain in 2022, outperforming Portugal by over one million trips. In total, the number of trips by Spanish visitors to French destinations amounted to approximately 3.3 million in that year.

International tourists accounted for more than half of the total tourism spending in Spain in 2022. Spain is one of the leading travel destinations worldwide.

In 2022, international tourists in Spain spent more than 1,200 euros on average during their trips. This figure was the highest recorded in the European country since 2010 and represents a growth of 8.7 percent versus the previous year.

The number of international tourist arrivals in Europe rose significantly in 2023 compared to the previous year across all the most visited destinations in the region. Overall, France was the most visited country by inbound travelers in Europe in 2023. That year, France - which also topped the ranking of the countries with the highest number of international tourist arrivals worldwide - reported 100 million international tourist arrivals, the highest figure recorded by the destination to date. Spain, Italy, and Turkey followed on the list in 2023. Europe is the most popular region for inbound tourism Europe is the region with the highest number of inbound tourism arrivals worldwide, with over 700 million arrivals in 2023. Comparatively, there were nearly 240 million international tourist arrivals in Asia and the Pacific, the second-most visited global region by inbound travelers that year. When breaking down the number of inbound arrivals in Europe by sub-region, Southern and Mediterranean countries reported the highest figures, both before and after the impact of COVID-19. Travel & Tourism Development Index France and Spain, among the most popular travel destinations in Europe in terms of inbound arrivals, were also among the leading countries in the Travel & Tourism Development Index (TTDI). The TTDI index measures factors and policies that support a sustainable and resilient development of travel and tourism worldwide. In 2023, Spain ranked first with a TTDI score of 5.18, followed by France and Germany.

The Spanish hospitality industry, valued at approximately €26.84 billion in 2025, demonstrates robust growth potential, projected to expand at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 3.14% from 2025 to 2033. This growth is driven by several factors. Firstly, Spain's enduring popularity as a tourist destination fuels demand across all hotel segments, from budget-friendly options to luxury establishments. The country's diverse geographical landscape, rich culture, and pleasant climate attract a wide range of visitors, boosting occupancy rates and average daily rates (ADR). Secondly, the strategic investments in infrastructure and marketing initiatives by both the public and private sectors enhance the country's appeal to international and domestic travelers. Finally, the continuous evolution of hospitality offerings, including the integration of technology and personalized service, strengthens Spain's competitive edge in the global market. Increased adoption of loyalty programs by major hotel brands further contributes to repeat business and sustained revenue growth. However, the sector also faces challenges. Seasonality, a persistent issue in tourism-dependent economies, creates fluctuations in demand and revenue streams throughout the year. Furthermore, rising operational costs, including labor and energy expenses, can impact profitability. Competitive pressure from emerging destinations and evolving consumer preferences necessitate continuous adaptation and innovation within the hospitality sector. Addressing these challenges effectively requires a strategic approach encompassing sustainable practices, diversified revenue streams, and proactive responses to shifting market dynamics. The segment breakdown reveals that while the chain hotel sector dominates, independent hotels are also growing, reflecting evolving traveler preferences for unique and locally-owned experiences. The growth of service apartments, budget and economy hotels, and mid-scale offerings indicates a diverse market catering to various price points and traveler needs. Recent developments include: In December 2023, Hotel group Meliá, Spain's largest hotel group and Europe's third largest hotel group expanded its luxury brands around the world with one in every three of its planned pipeline openings under its luxury brands. From Europe, Africa, and Central America to the world's most captivating destinations, Spain's leading hotel group brings its Spanish hospitality to all corners of the globe with each development delivering luxury experiences responsibly., In November 2023, Hotelbeds, a subsidiary of HBX Group, entered into a strategic distribution agreement with Barceló, a luxury hotel group based in Barcelona, Spain. The strategic distribution agreement expanded Hotelbeds’ accommodation portfolio and extended the reach of the luxury hotel group’s Barceló brand throughout Europe, the Mediterranean, and Africa, opening up new possibilities for travellers. By partnering with Hotelbeds, Barceló added 130 of its hotels, spread across 15 countries, to Hotelbeds’ hospitality preferred portfolio., In April 2023, Minor Hotels, one of the world’s largest hotel owners, operators, and investors, with over 530 hotels spread across 56 countries across Asia Pacific, Middle East, Africa and the Indian Ocean, as well as in Europe, South America, and North America, announced the expansion of its lifestyle brand for millennial-focused travellers: avani hotels & resorts in Europe. Avani Hotels is designed for guests who value service, style, and value. The brand is known for its functional design and distinctive service offerings.. Key drivers for this market are: 4., Favorable Government Policies and Regulations4.; Rise in the Number of Hotels/Restauarnts in the Market. Potential restraints include: 4., Favorable Government Policies and Regulations4.; Rise in the Number of Hotels/Restauarnts in the Market. Notable trends are: An Increase in The Number of International Tourist Arrivals from the UK is Dominating the market..

Golf tourism is an increasingly important segment within the global travel and tourism industry. The sport continues to grow in popularity as both a recreational and professional activity, with more travellers seeking destinations that offer world-class golf courses combined with premium accommodations and leisure experiences. The rise of golf destinations that blend scenic landscapes with a relaxed atmosphere has fueled the demand for golf tourism, making it a significant driver of travel in several regions.

Attribute	Details
Current Golf Tourism Industry Size (2024A)	USD 25.3 Billion
Estimated Golf Tourism Industry Size (2025E)	~USD 27.0 Billion
Projected Golf Tourism Industry Size (2035F)	~USD 65.8 Billion
Value CAGR (2025-2035)	~9.3%
Golf Tourism Market Analysis of Top Players Share in 2024	~30%-35%

Golf Tourism Performance by Domestic and International Tourists in Top 10 Countries (2024)

Country	Domestic vs. International Contribution (%)
United States	60% Domestic, 40% International
Scotland	40% Domestic, 60% International
Spain	35% Domestic, 65% International
Thailand	25% Domestic, 75% International
South Africa	30% Domestic, 70% International
Australia	50% Domestic, 50% International
Ireland	45% Domestic, 55% International
Portugal	35% Domestic, 65% International
Japan	70% Domestic, 30% International
Canada	55% Domestic, 45% International

The hospitality industry in Spain is experiencing steady growth, with a market size valued at 26.84 million in 2025. Driven by a surge in tourism and business travel, the industry is projected to grow at a CAGR of 3.14% from 2025 to 2033. Key drivers include increasing disposable income, government initiatives to promote tourism, and the expansion of the MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) sector. The industry is segmented by type (chain hotels, independent hotels), service apartments, and budget, economy, mid, upper-mid, and luxury hotels. Major players in the market include Wyndham Hotels Worldwide, Meliá Hotels International, IHG, Marriott International, Accor Hotels, and Barceló Hotels International. Loyalty programs play a significant role in the industry, with major hotel brands offering rewards and benefits to frequent guests. Key trends shaping the market include the growing adoption of online booking platforms, the rise of budget and economy hotels, and the increasing focus on sustainability. Recent developments include: In December 2023, Hotel group Meliá, Spain's largest hotel group and Europe's third largest hotel group expanded its luxury brands around the world with one in every three of its planned pipeline openings under its luxury brands. From Europe, Africa, and Central America to the world's most captivating destinations, Spain's leading hotel group brings its Spanish hospitality to all corners of the globe with each development delivering luxury experiences responsibly., In November 2023, Hotelbeds, a subsidiary of HBX Group, entered into a strategic distribution agreement with Barceló, a luxury hotel group based in Barcelona, Spain. The strategic distribution agreement expanded Hotelbeds’ accommodation portfolio and extended the reach of the luxury hotel group’s Barceló brand throughout Europe, the Mediterranean, and Africa, opening up new possibilities for travellers. By partnering with Hotelbeds, Barceló added 130 of its hotels, spread across 15 countries, to Hotelbeds’ hospitality preferred portfolio., In April 2023, Minor Hotels, one of the world’s largest hotel owners, operators, and investors, with over 530 hotels spread across 56 countries across Asia Pacific, Middle East, Africa and the Indian Ocean, as well as in Europe, South America, and North America, announced the expansion of its lifestyle brand for millennial-focused travellers: avani hotels & resorts in Europe. Avani Hotels is designed for guests who value service, style, and value. The brand is known for its functional design and distinctive service offerings.. Key drivers for this market are: 4., Favorable Government Policies and Regulations4.; Rise in the Number of Hotels/Restauarnts in the Market. Potential restraints include: 4., Stringent Rules and Regulations for International Tourists4.; Lack of Trained and Skilled Professionals. Notable trends are: An Increase in The Number of International Tourist Arrivals from the UK is Dominating the market..