This European country is having a tourism boom – despite tension from residents

Spain is anticipating a further surge in foreign visitors and increased spending in 2026, building on a record-breaking year that saw 97 million tourists flock to the country.

Tourism Minister Jordi Hereu confirmed the optimistic outlook on Thursday, highlighting the sector's crucial role in the nation's economy. Spain currently ranks as the world's second most visited country, trailing only France.

The industry is a significant driver of revenue, contributing to Spain's economic growth which has notably outpaced its European counterparts over the past two years.

open image in gallery

According to estimates from the tourism lobby Exceltur, the sector is projected to have accounted for 13 per cent of Spain's gross domestic product in 2025.

"If growth continues this year, we will reach 100 million foreign tourists, but we aren't focused on that," Hereu said, adding that last year's figure represented a 3.5 per cent increase on 2024, while revenues from tourism rose 6.8 per cent to 135 billion euros ($157 billion).

Hereu said in the first four months of this year - including the busy Easter holiday season - authorities were forecasting a 3.7 per cent rise in visitors from abroad to 26 million people, who they expect will spend 35 billion euros, up 2.5 per cent from the same period last year.

open image in gallery

The Mediterranean country's tourism boom, while boosting its economy, has led to tension in many visitor hotspots due to the indirect effect on housing prices, congestion and natural resource degradation problems.

Some popular destinations like Ibiza have cracked down on short-term rentals.

Hereu said Spain's model was moving away from seasonality, as data showed that tourist spending had grown by 53 per cent in the low and mid-seasons compared with pre-pandemic year 2019, and by 34 per cent in the high season.

Two-thirds of tourists who visited Spain in 2025 intend to return as they see it as a safe place, the minister said, adding that there was no sign of global geopolitical issues affecting flight availability or booking trends.