SPAIN welcomed almost 22.4 million foreign air passengers in the first quarter of 2026.
That’s up by more than 5.8% compared to the same period last year while March saw an increase of nearly 11% in UK travellers.
The figures were compiled by Spain’s national tourism institute, Turespaña.
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In March alone, overseas arrivals at Spanish airports amounted to 8.6 million, an increase of 6.6% compared to the same month in 2025
The Turespaña data shows that in March, 85.7% of passengers came from Europe (7.3% more).
Americans made up 9.5% (7.6% more) while 1.7% came from Asia, with a big annual fall of 36.3%.
The UK maintained its traditional market lead, accounting for around 1.8 million international passengers- generated 20.8% of the total flow of arrivals to Spain in March(up 10.9% on 2025).
1.1 million travellers flew from Germany (13.2% of the total) and an impressive 32% annual rise.
The Canary Islands were the main destination, with a 34.2% share, followed by the Valencian Community (18%) and Andalucia (15.9%).
By region, Madrid accounted for the highest number of passengers with 25.4% of arrivals, followed by Catalunya and the Canary Islands, with 20.3% and 18.7%, respectively.
Last month, Spain’s six main regions accounted for 97.5% of the total arrivals, all with year-on-year increases.
The Canary Islands had lowest annual increase on 1.5%.
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