SPAIN’S tourism industry is set to break records yet again with international visitors set to spend €121 billion in 2026.
The World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) estimates that tourists will splash €121 billion in Spain this year, marking a 5.3% increase from 2025.
With this record-breaking figure, Spain would consolidate its place as the third largest global market in tourism spending, behind only the US and China.
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WWTC also project that tourism’s total contribution to the Spanish economy will continue its upward trajectory, with tourism GDP projected to reach approximately €257 billion euros, reflecting an annual growth rate of 3.7%.
Last year, Brits were the biggest spenders, splashing about €24 billion, representing approximately 17% of total tourist expenditure in Spain.
As Spain’s tourism industry got off to a record-breaking start in 2026, British tourists continued to lead the way in terms of spending.
Spain welcomed a record 17.5 million tourists between January and March, a 2.6% rise compared with 2025.
Spending by visitors topped €25 billion over the same period, marking an increase of 6.4% from the previous year.
More than one million British tourists flocked to Spain’s shores in February this year, accounting for 15% of the country’s total tourism expenditure during the month.
The uptick in tourism has been partly driven by the conflict in the Middle East, with holidaymakers opting for trips to Spain over Turkey and Egypt.
Israeli and US forces launched strikes on Iran on 28 February, coinciding with a surge in visitor numbers in Spain in March.
According to figures released by the National Statistics Institute (INE), a record-breaking 6.8 million tourists visited Spain in March, an increase of 3.8%.
As conflict in the Middle East continues, Spain’s tourism industry is expected to smash its own records yet again.
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